Starlight & Flames
by ZellaStormz
Summary: She grew up with the elves but she wasn't one of them. She was something far more mysterious. But when Gandalf the Grey offers her a chance to see what lies beyond Rivendell, she cannot refuse. She hid her identity from them, but it was only a matter of time before they would find out what she was. Something far more precious than the gold they seek...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

* * *

Arwen smiled at her young son. His father had taken up to his chambers to go to sleep for it was well past his time to be asleep. However, tonight, he would not retire. Arwen sat on the edge of the bed, touching her son's forehead, brushing away his dark curls from his eyes.

"Eldarion, why will you not sleep? You must be very tired my son. You have had a long day out with your father and you will have another one tomorrow." Arwen asked him.

"I am not tired." he replied. Arwen smiled at his innocent answer. "What will help you sleep my son?" she asked him. Eldarion thought there for a moment, with his brow crinkled from thought. His eyes suddenly got wide and he smiled.

"Will you tell me a story mother?" he asked eagerly, sitting up in his bed. "An elvish tale?" Arwen looked at her son. He usually asked Aragorn to tell him a story, for he loved to hear of his father's adventures with Gandalf and Frodo. He had never asked her to tell him a story unless it was about one of her husband's adventures.

"Of course. Have you heard the tale of the Silver Star?" Eldarion shook his head, and looked at his mother expectantly.

"Well there is a story among the elves of the girl that was born of starlight that lived among our people. Many believe that this is not true, for they believe that stars stay in their place and never fall from the heavens, but this is not true, for I have seen the star with my own eyes." Eldarion's eyes grew big at the comment. "Yes, for me and the star were friends." Arwen said with a smile. "The tale begins many years back."

* * *

Laughter filled Lord Elrond's halls. The lord of the house smiled to himself, looking up from the scroll he had been reading over. He sighed, he didn't like this, not one bit but he knew she would want to go. He was happy that the girl in question had grown comfortable with Rivendell. Not only that, but Arwen had finally found someone that she could easily relate to. Elrond got up from his high backed chair and walked out of his study with the scroll he had been reading only moments ago in his hand, following the laughter of the two girls. When he finally reached Arwen's room, he looked in to see them both sitting on the bed, weaving vines and branches together. After being there for only a moment he heard,

"Come in father. I know that you are there." Elrond smiled as he pushed his daughter's door open, knowing very well that she knew he was there. "Hello my dear." Arwen quickly got up off the bed and ran to give her father a hug. The other young girl stayed on the bed, fiddling with one of the sticks they had been weaving only moments ago. Elrond put his daughter down and walked back to the bed with her. "How are you fairing today Arirua?" he asked the girl. Arirua smiled up at him with her silver eyes.

"I am fairing well. Thank you for asking Lord Elrond." she said. "What brings you to Arwen's room, may I ask?" The high elf just smiled. She was always curious about things.

"I came looking for you." Arirua's ears pricked up; usually he came looking for Arwen, not her.

"How may I be of service my lord?" she asked. "I wish to speak about this in private, would you excuse us for a moment please Arwen?" Arwen nodded and gracefully walked out of the room.

"Arirua, I have a letter for you. From Mithrandir." Arirua looked at him. Gandalf the Grey? "He will be taking a long journey with a company of dwarves and he wishes for you to join them. He believes that it would be good for you to see the world outside of Rivendell. I do not like the idea of it, but I cannot forbid you from going. Arirua, would you care to join Mithrandir on his journey?" She looked at him with wide eyes. How could he think she would say no?

"It would be my honor Lord Elrond. To both serve you in the matter as well as Mithrandir. I must go and prepare to depart." She got up off the bed and began to walk to the door. Elrond stood up, watching her go. When she got to the door, she placed her hand on the handle and quickly turned around and walked back to the bed, giving Elrond a hug.

Elrond didn't know how to react, for the young girl had never done that before; Arirua never liked showing emotion, always scared that someone she trusted was going to betray her. "Thank you." she whispered, "Thank you for caring for me. In your halls I have found a home. Thank you for believing in me and never giving up on me." With that, she left the room quickly, only to find Arwen outside the door, waiting.

"Will you help me pack?" Arirua asked her only friend. Arwen smiled. "Of course, come." she said.

* * *

"Why did he let her go mother? Didn't he know that she might not return to Rivendell?" Eldarion asked Arwen.

"He trusted her to protect herself. Arirua was not one to go down without a fight. She may not seem like a warrior, but Arirua was always one of the best warriors Rivendell had ever seen. She had many years to study the fighting techniques of our people." Arwen explained to her small son.

"Don't stop, please. Continue the story. What happened next?" Eldarion asked his mother. Arwen sighed; he was never going to sleep if she did not finish the story.

* * *

"Arirua…."

"Do you have all the supplies you will need?" Elrond asked Arirua as she began to mount her steed, Elenduriel.

"I do believe I have everything." Arirua assured him.

"Before you leave, Arwen and I would like to present you with a gift." Arwen came up with a bundle in her arms and a smile on her face. She passed it to Elrond who then in turn gave it to Arirua. Arirua looked at them; they had treated her like one of their own and now they presented her with gifts. Her people didn't do that. They stayed in their place, never interacted, unless they were supposed to. She pulled away the leather that was wrapped around the item; inside was a beautiful silver sword with that was beautifully detailed. On the hilt she saw a shining gem that looked as though it was a star from the sky.

"It….. It's beautiful." Arirua breathed.

"It is named Lalar." Arwen informed her. "Night Shine. It is a gift from us and all the people of Rivendell. We wish you luck on your journey and safety. May the stars watch over you." Arirua smiled at Arwen and placed her hand on the young girl's head.

"You are going to be a wise and beautiful woman one day Arwen; the stars have always known that." Arirua told her. Arwen bowed her head and quickly left, not wanting to watch her dear friend leave.

"May your journey be blessed my child." Elrond said to Arirua. She nodded to him.

"Do not worry. My people watch over me, they will not let me fall and I will not let anything make me fall." She promised him. Arirua then attached Lalar to her saddle and nudged Elenduriel. "Goodbye my Lord." And with that, the Silver Star left the border of Rivendell for the first time in many years.

* * *

"Arirua traveled for many days and nights, not wanting to stop. She wanted to see the world but she also did not want to be late. She rode long and hard, only stopping when it was necessary." Arwen continued as she told her son his story.

"Where was she going mother?" he asked her.

"Arirua was never sure. She just knew that if she was looking for a company of dwarves and Gandalf the Wizard, there would be talk of it. She listened closely when she was at inns and market places, listening for word of their travels."

* * *

Arirua pulled her hood closer to her face, hiding her almost white hair from the onlookers. Pale hair was not common in these parts, and she did not want any unwanted attention. She quickly walked up to one of the vendors that were selling fruit.

"I will take two." she told the woman behind the cart, not looking her in the eyes. The woman nodded and picked out two of the fruits, trading them with the money that Arirua passed her. She smiled. "Thank you kind lady." she said as she noticed that Arirua had given her more then was needed. Arirua just nodded. She began walking back to where she had tied up Elenduriel, when she was stopped by something she heard.

"Have you heard of the dwarf company traveling towards the Great East Road?" one of the men said.

"No, can't say that I have." the man who was listening told him.

"There is talk that they are being accompanied by a wizard as well. A strange mixture of beings if you asked me." the man replied. Arirua quickly turned to them.

"Excuse me sir, but how far is the Great East Road from here?" Arirua asked. The men looked at her.

"A good couple of days ride from here lass. It's not an area one should travel alone as well, especially by a woman as young and weak as you." the man that had been telling the story said. Arirua's hands closed into fists; she wished to show the man how strong she truly was, but she knew better. "Thank you." was all she said. She quickly walked off.

"Lass, where are you going?" the man yelled after her.

"I have a wizard to find."

Arirua never went to the Great East Road. Instead she traveled more away from it, knowing that they had not gotten to the Great East Road yet. It had been several days and Arirua was growing tired. She was traveling through a more elevated area of the land when she saw the campfire and Elenduriel whined the way she did when there were other horses nearby. Arirua smiled to herself; she had found them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

* * *

As Arirua got closer to the camp she could hear the sounds of snoring dwarves, the crackling of fire wood, and… laughter? She rode closer, quietly, not wanting to be charged, listening to the conversations being had.

When she was right on the edge of the camp, she sat on Elenduriel, listening to the story of Thorin Oakenshield and his great battle against the Pale Orc. Arirua shuddered; her people knew of the things the Pale Orc did, the horrible things they had witnessed him do. He was one of the reasons her people turned their faces from Middle Earth.

"And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King." finished the snow white haired dwarf who was telling the story. Arirua nudged Elenduriel out of the shadows she had taken as cover on the edge of the camp.

"A very interesting tale, master dwarf. The bravery of one man, pardon me, one dwarf that allowed his people to take arms when it seemed hopeless. Thought, there are some who believe," she said, as she rode Elenduriel slowly towards the ponies that were tied up, "that Azog the Defiler survived." Arirua dismounted and turned to swords pointed at her. She laughed.

"You are as predictable as Lord Elrond said you would be. Be at peace, for I come to answer the call." At this she looked up over the dwarves to see Mithrandir standing up. "Mithrandir!" she cried with joy. She quickly pulled away the pale blue cloak that covered her hair, allowing her hair to fall out behind her as she pushed the dwarves aside and walked quickly to Gandalf.

"Arirua," he said in a caring voice, "it is good to see you again. You have grown my dear." Arirua smiled again.

"Changes tend to happen when one is gone for a very long time." Arirua replied with a pointed look. "But, it is good to see you again old friend." Gandalf placed his hand on the top of her head, smiling at how wise she had become.

"Indeed. Now, Arirua, allow me to introduce you to the leader of the company. This is Thorin Oakenshield, rightful king under the mountain." Gandalf said, motioning to the taller dwarf of the five that were awake. Arirua looked at him. Had she heard him correctly? King under the mountain? She gave a small bow to Thorin.

"It is a great honor to meet you, Thorin." she said.

"You know of me then?" he asked, stepping forward.

"Yes, my lord. Your reputation precedes you. I have lived many more years then you would believe and I have seen and heard a great many things." Arirua explained. "But now is not the time for explanations. I have come for Gandalf has called upon my services for your quest. I ask that you allow me to join you on this quest."

"And what do you have to offer this company?" Thorin asked her. She looked him straight in the eyes and said,

"I have been trained in the ways of the elves. I know how to fight with a sword and a wide array of daggers." To make a demonstration, she pulled one of the knives that was hidden away in her boots out and flipped it, caught it, and put it back in the boot she had taken it from. "I am also a very skilled archer."

"An elf? I will not have an elf a member of my company!" Thorin said, directed to Gandalf. Gandalf opened his mouth to explain, but Arirua interrupted him.

"I am not an elf. I am something far stranger." she said.

"She has much to offer Thorin. Arirua has been risen by the elves most of her life, so she is well accepted by them. This could be very helpful, as well as her wide array of skills. She would be a valuable asset to the company." Gandalf explained.

* * *

"Don't stop now mother! Did Gandalf convince Thorin to allow Arirua to join the company?" Eldarion asked when Arwen paused for a moment from the story.

"Yes he did, though it took much convincing on Mithrandir's part. Arirua did join the company that night." Arwen said. "Shall I continue the story?" Eldarion nodded his head.

* * *

"Do not disappoint me." Thorin said to Arirua. Arirua nodded and tried not to let out a sigh of relief. She had been very sure that Thorin was not going to allow her to join the company. As she was looking around the camp, she heard someone clear their throat near her. Arirua turned to see a small man with big feet standing behind her. His hands were clasping and unclasping nervously; she also noticed that he was dress rather nicely for a traveler.

"Um, hello miss. My name is Bilbo Baggins of the Shire. I felt that it would be improper not to introduce myself." he said. Arirua smiled at Bilbo.

_A hobbit. _She thought. _What a strange addition to the company._

"Hello Mr. Baggins. My name is Arirua. That was very kind of you to introduce yourself." Arirua said.

"That is a very pretty name Ms. Arirua. Does it have a meaning? I read somewhere once that many elf names have a meaning, so I was curious if yours might."

"Yes, it does indeed. You are very learned Mr. Baggins. Arirua means Silver Star in elvish." Arirua explained. "Lord Elrond gave me the name when he first met me. To be honest with you, I have forgotten my other name. I have been called Arirua for so long, it has been forgotten." Bilbo looked her, nodding, understanding what she was saying, though still slightly confused. He then turned his attention back to the white haired dwarf.

"Oh, Mr. Balin, the white orc? What happened to him?" Bilbo asked.

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin said, interrupting the beginning of Balin's answer. There was silence in the camp for a moment before Thorin started to bark out orders.

"Kili! Fili! You are still on watch. Wake Bifur and Nori when your time has ended." He then went to an area a little ways off from everyone else, and sat down by himself. Arirua couldn't help wonder what a king thought about.

"Arirua." Gandalf said, catching her attention. "I know that sleeping is not something that I can ask of you, but do rest. This will be a long journey, and I know, even you need rest at some point."

"Thank you for your concern Mithrandir. I believe will keep the ones on watch company for a short amount and then lay down for a little bit. Go and rest." Arirua said. Gandalf bowed his head and left to retire for a short while.

Arirua softly walked back to Elenduriel and unsaddled her. She then tapped her, letting Elenduriel that she was free to graze as she pleased. Arirua then gathered her stuff together in a small pile next to one of the boulders, excluding Lalar, which she belted to her waist. One could never be to safe. She then tiptoed back towards the center of the camp where the two dwarves were keeping watch, avoiding sleeping dwarves and branches that lay on the ground. As she got closer to the two watchers, their whispering quieted. Arirua took that moment to study them, something she did with most.

The first was blonde, not a bright blonde like herself, but a darker blonde. In his hair he had a few braids, not as many as she had seen on some of the sleeping dwarves, but still some. He also has a mustache that was braided along with his beard. He was older looking then the other. A sword that Arirua could only assume was his sat on his lap as he sharpened it.

The other was dark haired, close to the color of Arwen's hair. It held no braids, which Arirua found strange, for all the dwarves, even Thorin, had some kind of braid of sorts in their hair. He also was lacking a beard, another oddity, for Arirua knew for a fact that dwarves cared for their beards very much. There was a quiver of arrows leaning against log he was sitting on and his bow was lying on the ground next to it. He was younger looking, but she found him slightly more handsome then the other.

The two of them stood up when they saw her getting close. The blonde one spoke first.

"Fili."

"And Kili." said the dark haired one.

"At your service." they said together, bowing at the same time. Arirua laughed slightly. _Ah, brothers, that explains a great many things._ Arirua thought to herself.

"And Arirua at yours." she said, giving a small bow back with a smile on her face. Kili and Fili both smiled at her. They both sat back down, chuckling to themselves.

"Please sit." Kili said, motioning to the log that was next to Arirua's feet.

"Thank you." she said as sat down, trying to get comfortable, figuring that she would be there for a long time.

* * *

**A/N: Hello lovely readers :D! I just wanted to say thanks for all the reads and follows and alerts and whatnots, it makes me feel super amazing and awesome lol... VIRTUAL COOKIES FOR ALL! lol. Anyways I just wanted to say thanks (see sentence before) and say that I'd love to hear what you have to say about Starlight & Flames. Like it? Love it? Hate it? Found a problem with it? Please tell me. I'd love some feedback. Also if I'm going to keep this chapter up. My "beta" hasn't read it yet so yah... Anyways, happy reading to all and Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) and don't forget about dat feedback :D -Zella**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

* * *

After sitting down on the log, Arirua realized that she had a perfect view of the stars that blanketed the sky. She smiled up at the twinkling, knowing what the flashes meant. Arirua laughed, breaking the silence that had settled between the three that had stayed awake. The dwarves looked at her with curious looks on their faces.

"What's so funny?" the blonde one asked.

"Nothing, master dwarf; it is nothing. The stars just have a sense of humor." she said cracking a smile.

"They have a what?" the brunette asked.

"A sense of humor. The twinkling that stars do, it is them communicating with the world below. Look, see that one there, just above our heads?" Kili and Fili looked up and nodded. "That is Amlugnir. And the one next to him is Amlugwen. Together they are called the Tail Chasers, for every night they are in a different position, but always across from the other. Amlugwen has never left Amlugnir's side and he has done the same for her." Arirua explained. "And there is Mallosdes right above those hills." she said, pointing. "Legend has it that she was put in the sky when she left this world so she could see the golden flowers bloom in the summer." she paused, thinking.

"You know a lot about the stars, Lady Arirua." Kili said.

"Yes, I do. My people know a great deal about the stars." she explained. "But they grow distant, the stars. They disapprove of this world, with all the war and heartache. They have begun to distance themselves and others have disappeared all together. Their lights have grown colder." Arirua said. The dwarves noticed how sad she looked; Fili nudged Kili when Arirua wasn't looking. Arirua shook her head, forcing herself back to reality. She smiled at them. "So, what brings you on this quest?"

"Thorin's our uncle." Fili explained. "As rightful heirs to the throne of Erebor, it is our duty to come. But we would never leave Thorin to do this alone. He raised us after our father died in battle, along with our mother. Besides our mother, Thorin is the only family we have left really. Thorin never married and our mother has no more siblings."

"We couldn't leave him to do this alone." Kili said, repeating what his brother had already said. "What brings you on this quest?" he asked, which surprised Arirua. Growing up in Rivendell, most of the elves had kept to themselves, never asking why she did things or what her opinion was, excluding Arwen and Elrond.

"Mithrandir. He called upon me, though I do not know why. Lord Elrond came to me and said that Mithrandir needed my help. I except even before Lord Elrond could explain what it was." Arirua explained. "I was excited. I have never been outside the walls of Rivendell alone. Arwen and I sometimes went with Elrond to the Greenwood but that was it. I was ready to see Middle Earth up close." The fire cracked, making the three of them to jump slightly. The embers had grown dim during their conversation.

"Pass that log over here would you?" Fili asked Arirua. Nodding, she reached for it with her left arm. When she was within a few inches, she let out a scream of pain, quickly recoiling her arm. She pulled her left arm close to her stomach and reached out with her right arm, grabbing the log and passing it to a concerned Fili.

"Are you alright?" Kili asked, voicing both his and his brother's concerns.

"I am okay." Arirua said. "I just stressed my arm." She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming in pain. _Why now? _She thought.

"If you say so." Arirua nodded. Suddenly, there was a crunch of sticks and leaves. Fili grabbed the handle of his sword and Arirua could see Kili reaching for one of his arrows. Arirua rested her right hand on the hilt of Lalar, ready for whatever was out there in the dark. Suddenly she saw the outline. Kili laughed suddenly. Arirua looked at him. She understood laughing in the face of danger, but certain death?

"Bifur, you nearly got your head cut off by our lovely new company." he said laughing.

Bifur grumbled back at Kili in dwarfish as he emerged from the shadows; Arirua relaxed, realizing that it was one of the company.

"It's your own fault." Fili said. "Sneaking around in the dark like that."

Bifur shook his head at Fili, grumbling some more. Fili nodded to what he was saying.

"He says that it's his turn to keep watch. We're going to turn in, and you should do the same."

"Of course. Goodnight Kili, Fili." she said as she got up, still clutching her arm to her stomach. Arirua quickly walked back to her little area that she piled her stuff together. She quietly pulled her sleeping things out of the pile, being sure that nothing toppled over and made a loud noise that would wake up the dwarves that were sleeping. After she got everything out of the pile she needed, Arirua carried the items to a small area that was distanced from the rest of the company. Arirua quickly lied down the bed materials, being sure to lay Lalar right under the first thin layer, allowing it to be in her reach if she was attacked in the night.

Arirua laid down on her back, still clutching her arm to her stomach, grimacing in pain and anger. The pain had been gone for months, but it showed now, right at the worst moment. Arirua tried to move over slightly and yelped. The pain was stronger, but she knew it would be gone tomorrow. The pain would come and go, sometimes staying for many days, sometimes hours. She prayed it would only stay for hours. Arirua yawned, feeling the weariness of the day and the energy she had being drained, from having been going nonstop for several days and her arm. Rest was what she needed now.

"Good night stars." she whispered before her eyes slowly began to close, heavy with sleep, something that she had not experienced in a little while. "Good night my friends."

* * *

"But mother, what about her arm?" Eldarion asked. "Will she be able to continue the journey? Thorin is not going to leave her behind is he?" The worried look on his face made his mother realize that he was truly interested in the story.

"She will be fine. As I said before, Arirua was stronger than most believed her to be. She was not weak or frail. Arirua fought many great battles with that pain in her arm, but that has yet to stop her."

"Do you mean she is still alive?" the young boy asked his mother.

"Now you are getting ahead in the story. I must finish the rest before you can hear the end of the tale." Arwen said, trying not to laugh at the face her son made to her answer. "Now, Arirua…"

* * *

Arirua was up when the sun rose, just as she did every morning. She was very much a night person, but the rising of the sun seemed to keep her from sleeping all the day and staying up late into the night, much like her people did.

After standing up and stretching, she realized the pain in her arm had left. She let out a sigh of relief. It would be okay for today, though she did not know what to expect the next day or the days after.

Shaking her head, she began to quietly gather her things up. Dwelling on the future would not help her. The future was something she could not control.

Arirua placed her bed things, all rolled up and ready to be attached to Elenduriel's saddle, next to the small pile of things she had put next to the saddle the previous night. After being sure that everything was still there, she grabbed a new set of clothes, one of two which included the one she was currently wearing. She knew that she would have to wait to wash out the ones she was currently wearing, but that did not bother her.

As quickly and quietly as she could, Arirua found a boulder a little farther off from the camp to prepare for the day. She let out a sigh of relief. _Fresh clothes._ She thought to herself with a smile. Arirua pulled her deep blue tunic that laced up in the front closer to her body, protecting her from small chill wind that blew. Noticing how high the sun was in the sky, Arirua quickly pulled her tall dark brown boots over her tan leggings and pull her cloak back around so she could clasp it at the base of her neck. She then pulled her pale blonde hair back away from her silvery blue eyes with the ribbon that always kept it up.

Arirua returned to the campsite to find most of the dwarves still asleep, for it was still early in the morning. She placed her dirty clothes at the top of the pile and walked over the campfire that had long since died. She noticed that the last watchmen had fallen asleep, both sitting with their backs against the tall boulder that the fire had been built in front of. Arirua quickly gathered some silt and dumped it on the glowing embers, not wanting a fire to start up and burn down the surrounding forest, for she knew that little embers could become a huge fire. After doing that, Arirua went back to her stuff and gathered some of it and began to walk over to where the ponies were tied up.

"Elenduriel, where are you girl?" she said quickly. She heard a familiar whiney and began to walk in the direction she had heard it from. Elenduriel was a standing in a little area that had some grass which she was nibbling on when Arirua came up to her. "How's my pretty girl?" Arirua asked her horse. Elenduriel put her long nose right in Arirua's face and blew warm air on it, causing the young woman to laugh. Arirua patted her nose. "That's good." she said with a smile.

Arirua quickly got to saddling Elenduriel and placing things where they needed to be on the saddle. She did not know when they would be leaving and she did not want to be left behind.

"There you go girl. Now you just rest for a little while longer. It is very likely that we will have a hard ride ahead of us today." Arirua explained to her horse. Elenduriel bobbed her head up and down as if she understood what her master was saying. Arirua gave her horse one last pat on the neck as she headed back to the campsite.

When she got there, she was surprised to see that most of the company was awake. Arirua had expected the dwarves to still be asleep. As she was walking through the camp, she saw Bilbo struggling with his pack.

"Would you some help Mister Baggins?" she asked him, crouching down to his level when she was close to him.

"No, no. I've got this." he said with a determined look, trying to place everything on the back of his pony. When it fell again, he gave a sigh of frustration. "Yes please." he finally said. Arirua grabbed the things that he had been trying to place on the horse's back into place for him.

"There you are Mister Baggins." she said giving the pony a pat.

"Thank you ma'am." Bilbo said, still slightly frustrated that he had not been able to do it himself. Arirua nodded and continued to walk through the camp. She soon was standing next to Gandalf as he was preparing his horse for the journey.

"Good morning Mithrandir." Arirua said to Gandalf.

"Good morning to you too." he replied to her. There was silence for a moment. "Would you mind going on the other side and help me put this over?" he asked her. Arirua nodded eager to help. She quickly circled the horse, patting its nose as she went by so it would know she was a friend, and told Mithrandir that she was ready. He tossed over part of the pack so she could tie it down on her side.

After they were finished Arirua excused herself, saying that she was going to see if any of the dwarves had brought anything besides meat along on the journey. Arirua walked through the camp back to the area the fire had been previously, knowing that many of the dwarves were gathering there for breakfast. When she arrived she saw that Kili had a seat next to him open. She quickly walked over to him.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked. Kili shook his head and Arirua plopped down on the log. "Thanks."

"Bread?" he asked, holding out some to her. She nodded and took a piece off the loaf. She began quietly munching on it as she listened to the conversation around the now dead fire.

"What do you think lads?" one of the dwarves questioned. "Rain or shine?" Many of the dwarves started grumbling about the idea of rain.

"Shine, Bofur. Don't jinx it for us." commented the fatter dwarf. He had strange orangish red hair and a braid that seemed to go around his neck.

"Bombur is right." said another dwarf, one with dark red hair and beard. His beard was large and was filled with small braids and silver clasps that kept the braids in place. "All this talk of rain or shine is gonna jinx us." Bofur, the one who had asked the question originally, nodded to him.

"Alright Gloin, just one more." And then he turned and looked Arirua. "What do you think lass?" he asked her. The company that was sitting at the campfire turned to look at her, realizing that she was there for the first time. Many of them looked shocked, and many of them reached for weapons that they had on their person. As a couple of them stood up, Kili shook his head.

"She's a member of the company. Thorin has allowed her to join after the wizard sent for her." he explained.

"The question still stands." Bofur said, as the dwarves sat back down and began to eat their breakfast again. "Rain or shine?"

Arirua looked up at the sky for a moment and chuckled for a moment. Then she leaned forward.

"I see rain coming, master dwarf." she said with a smirk.

* * *

**A/N: Hey everyone. I'm sooooo sorry about this chapter taking so long. I have been crazy busy with Christmas and traveling and now I have a cold HURRAH! Not really. But thanks for sticking around and waiting. I loved all the reviews :D Everyday I get on and I see that I have new one it brings a smile to my face and it makes me want to write more (wink wink hint hint XD) Anyways, virtual cookies to all you lovely readers and more is on the way hopefully soon :D**

**A/N Part 2: I am sorry for all the craziness. My computer and iPad have been acting stupid so it's not been posting correctly, sorry for all the confusion if there was any**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

* * *

They had been riding in the tracheal downpour for what seemed like hours. Arirua was nearly soaked to the bone from it. The trail that they had been following had turned to pure mud making it the ride harder than it would be usually. The tall trees of the forest offered as much shelter as they could, but that wasn't much. Most of the dwarves had taken to grumbling about how cold and miserable they were. Of course, they kept it to a dull roar, not wanting Thorin to hear them. While they were riding, Dori, the dwarf with the silvery white hair and multiple braids that wound through his beard, which was held together by a large silver clasp of sorts, and his hair, spoke up.

"Here, Mister Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" he asked.

"It is raining, master dwarf," stated Gandalf, "and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard." Dori gave a slight huff at the wizards answer, as did many of the other dwarves.

"Are there any?" asked Bilbo Baggins. He, unlike the rest of the company, did not bring any kind of cloak or protection from the rain and harsh weather. His normal dirty blonde hair was now darker and plastered to his forehead from the rain.

"What?"

"Other wizards?" Bilbo asked Gandalf.

"There are five of us." explained Gandalf as he continued to ride. "The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards," Gandalf's brow furrowed for a moment, "you know, I've quite forgotten their names." Bilbo gave him a slightly raised eyebrow look.

"And who is the fifth?" Bilbo questioned.

"Well, that would be Radagast, the Brown." Gandalf answered. Arirua smiled to herself. She remember meeting Radagast the Brown only once, and it was quite an experience all on its own. Radagast had been such a gentle soul when they had meet.

"Is he a great wizard or is he… more like you?" Bilbo asked. Arirua let out a laugh at the hobbit's comment, causing all the company to look at her, startled. Arirua could see the slight offended look that crossed Gandalf's face.

"I think he's a very great wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and a good thing too, for always Evil will look to find a foothold in this world." Gandalf told Bilbo. After that, there was several moments of silence as the company took in what Gandalf had just told them.

Arirua pulled her pale blue hood back slightly, looking up at the still darkened sky. As a raindrop landed on her nose, she smiled. She then clicked quietly to Elenduriel, causing her horse to pick up speed slightly, taking her off the path. She maneuvered Elenduriel through the trees that stood in their way. As she went by, Arirua touched them, feeling the bark and moss that clung to them. She quickly directed Elenduriel back onto the path, pulling up alongside the two younger brothers. Arirua smiled at them as she pulled up alongside them.

"Why the smile?" Fili asked, in a slightly teasing way.

"The rain." she explained.

"The rain? You enjoy this?" Fili asked her, slightly shocked.

"No, of course not." she exclaimed, "The rain is coming to a close." The brothers looked up at the sky and saw the clouds that still blocked away the sun.

"I do not think so Arirua." Kili told her. She just shook her head at their narrow minds.

"I have lived with elves most of my life; trust me, I know the signs of rain." she told them matter-of-factly. The brothers just shook their heads in disbelief.

"How many years have you lived with the elves?" Kili suddenly asked Arirua. She looked at him; it really made her feel good that he genuinely seemed to care about the things she had to say.

"I believe that this will be the twelfth year." she told him as she righted Elenduriel, who had tried to get back off the path again.

"You must have been very young then when you started living with the elves." he said. She nodded. "I believe I was seven when Lord Elrond found me and took me in." she said, thinking about it. "Yes, it was, for it was a couple of weeks before the Feast of Starlight." She smiled at the memory that she had kept stored away.

"That would make you still very young." Kili said without thinking.

Arirua laughed, which sounded so light and airy. "Yes, though it is improper for one to ask a lady her age." she replied with a smirk. She and Fili both laughed at the look that appeared on Kili's face. "It is okay though, I am not that sensitive about it. I am nineteen by human standards; however I am far older than that. But I will not be telling that age." she said with another laugh. Arirua clicked again, allowing Elenduriel to speed up again, leaving behind a dumbfounded Kili and Fili. She laughed to herself as she looked back at their faces.

After leaving the boys behind, Arirua rode by herself. She knew right away that many of the other dwarves didn't care for her company. 'They grow on you.' Bilbo had promised her. But with how things were going so far, she wasn't so sure about that. She shook it off though. Arirua was there to accomplish what they needed her to and then she would return to Rivendell. That was what Lord Elrond had ordered her to do, and though she was not an elf, she still felt that she should follow his wishes.

She sighed. Arirua would never admit it, but she missed Rivendell a great deal. She didn't regret going on the journey, but she was beginning to feel a little homesick. A much similar feeling had happened to her when she had begun living in Rivendell. She had been used to sleeping during the day and staying up during the night. Arirua was used to watching the sun rise, not set. But after a couple of months, she had grown accustom to it. She still missed home. _Home…_ she thought with a sigh. Arirua knew that she wouldn't be able to return there anytime soon. _Maybe one day though… _she thought to herself. _One day I can go back._

While Arirua was thinking about Rivendell and her homeland, she directed Elenduriel with a tight tug on her reins, trying to redirect her horse around a massive mud puddle, with her left arm. Suddenly, the pain that had been going through her arm the previous night was back, stronger and more painful.

Arirua let out a scream of pain, nearly falling out her saddle. She had let go of the reigns and was now cradling her left arm in her right. There were tears streaming from her eyes. Arirua knew that she looked like a weakling but she didn't care. The dwarves would never understand that pain she was experiencing.

When the scream had left the lips of their new companion, the whole company came to a halt and turned and looked at her. For several moments of silence as they looked at her, trying to evaluate what was happening.

It was Bilbo who had spoken first.

"Are you okay Miss Arirua?" he asked. The rest of the company looked at her waiting for an answer. Arirua slowly shook her head.

"Help me. Someone please help." she said barely above a whisper, having curled up slightly in her saddle, protecting her pained arm. Quickly many of the dwarves dismounted, but it was Kili who got to Elenduriel's side first.

"Make it stop." she whispered to him, as he tried to get her off her horse. As she lifted her head, the rain began to drop on her face, mixing with her tears. "Just make it stop."

* * *

**A/N: Hello lovely readers of Fanfiction... I'm sorry about all the confusion that has been going on lately, first my computer wouldn't upload it and then it uploaded it twice... very annoying. Anyways Chapter 3 #2 has been taken down and here's Chapter 4... It's kinda short but Chapter 5 is coming soon and hopefully will be longer :D**

**Once more, thanks for all the reviews and favorites and follows and such... they really make my day :D, please keep them coming, they really help me write more... and advice is always welcome :D. Also... Happy New Years... or whatever you might say :D Hope your 2014 will be amazing :D **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

* * *

"Make it stop. Make it stop." Arirua kept repeating to herself. She looked at Kili who was standing next to her horse. "Help me." she begged him, tears swelling in her eyes. Kili stopped trying to help her out of the saddle, realizing that her shoulders were slumped over a little bit more and her eyes had now shut.

"Gandalf!" he yelled over the loud noise the company was making. "Gandalf!"

"Move!" Gandalf demanded as he moved through the company. "Get her out of the saddle." he told Kili as he got closer. Kili nodded and motioned to Dwalin to help him. The bigger dwarf grumbled something about weakness and elves but he went to the right side of Elenduriel. Dwalin moved her right leg to the left side of the saddle, allowing Kili to gently pull her into his arms. While Kili tried to move her out of the mud that the trail had become, Arirua opened her eyes.

"It's okay." Kili assured her, as she started looking around nervously, not sure what was going on. "Gandalf wants to look at your arm." Arirua looked at him, trying to pull her arm closer to her body, causing her to let out a small scream of pain.

"He cannot. I am fine Kili. I promise." she said trying to assure him.

"No, you're not." Fili told her, as he came up to help Kili move her. "You weren't okay last night and you are not okay now." They helped her sit down underneath one of the trees that were alongside the road. Gandalf, who was walking behind them as they moved her, spoke then.

"I wish to speak to her alone." he told them. They both nodded, though Kili looked a little reluctant.

"I will be okay." she promised them as they started walking away.

"Let us have a look now." Gandalf said after they put a little distance between the company and themselves. Arirua shook her head, not wanting the wizard to see her arm. She had showed no one but Lord Elrond before, and she had only showed him because he had insisted after she had gone through one of her fits.

"You cannot heal it Mithrandir. It is not one of those kinds of pains." she told him.

"I may be able to do something." he argued with her in his calm tone, though she could hear the underlying frustration, "Just show me." Arirua looked into Gandalf's eyes, studying them for a moment, deciding whether or not to trust this wizard with her greatest secret.

"Okay, but you cannot tell the company." Gandalf looked at her. "I will tell them in my own time." she explained. Gandalf nodded, though he didn't agree, but he knew that this was something she would have to do when she was ready.

"You know where I come from and what I am, but I know that you do not know how I came to walk upon this land. It is simple, I disobeyed. And I was punished for my choice." she explained, breathing getting slightly heavy from all the energy she was using to tell her tale and stay awake.

"What do you mean?" he asked her.

"I…" she looked at him with a sad look. "I choose not to look away from this world. For this world is dark and evil but there is good, something my brothers and sisters could not see. But I did. And I was punished for what I saw and believed. I was cast out. Cast out and branded." she said. Arirua began tugging at her sleeve on her left arm. She pulled to top of the sleeve over her shoulder and removed her hand so Gandalf could see.

He saw gold, strands of gold that wrapped around her arm and shoulder. They glowed like fire and he could see that they dug into her skin. As Gandalf looked closer he realized that they were shaped like flames. Gandalf reached to touch them, heal them if he could but Arirua stopped his hand. She leaned her head back on the tree she was resting under.

"They are burns, burned into my skin until I return home. And I have tried to return home, but he will not let me return, not yet. He says that I must stay here and survive my punishment for disobeying." she explained to Gandalf. "But Mithrandir, how can I be wrong?" she questioned the wizard. Gandalf looked at her, confused. "Look at this world. It is dark and evil lurks in the corners of the world as you said, but as does every world. Why must we turn away our eyes and ignore it when we may save it?" she cried. Arirua clutched her arm again. From where the wizard sat, he could see the burns glowing.

"That is not for me to answer, for I have been asking myself that very question Arirua." he told her. "Can you rise? I know you are in pain, but we must keep moving. This rain has already delayed our travel; we must begin to move again." Arirua nodded, gingerly getting up off the ground, biting her lip when her left arm was jostled. She was sure to pull her sleeve back into place and gently replace her cloak back on her shoulder so none of the dwarves and Bilbo could see her shoulder.

"Are you ready to leave?" Thorin asked gruffly as they came closer to the company. Everyone looked at Arirua, which made her pull her hood over her face more; embarrassed they had seen her in such a weak state.

"I believe we are." Gandalf told him, "Arirua?"

Arirua nodded. She quickly moved towards Elenduriel, avoiding the looks the company was giving her. She was standing, looking at Elenduriel, trying to figure out how she was going to get on the horse without rocking her arm when Kili came up.

"Need a hand?" he asked her, causing her to jump back, putting distance between her and Kili.

"Oh, it's just you." she said, realizing that it was Kili standing next to her. "Um, no I think I will be okay. Thank you though." Arirua let go of her left arm, still keeping it pressed against her stomach, and grabbed the horn of the saddle with her right hand. She then placed her right foot into the stirrup and after a small jump, pulled herself into the saddle. "See, I have this handled. I have been doing this for a very long time." Kili just shook his head at her, but Arirua could see the smile on his face. "Now, go on, get back to your horse. Thorin wants to get moving. And the rain will be stopping soon, which means it will be easier travel from here on out." She then clicked at Elenduriel, who obeyed instantly. Elenduriel trotted gently up alongside Gandalf, who had mounted his horse and was preparing to move forward.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Gandalf asked her.

"Of course Mithrandir." she promised. "I have had to deal with this for a few years now. I am fine."

* * *

"She was very strong wasn't she mother?" Eldarion told his mother. Arwen smiled at her son. He had always been so smart, even when he was younger.

"Yes," Arwen told him. "Besides Frodo and your father, she was one of the strongest people I have ever met. She had such a burden to carry, but she never once complained about it. Lord Elrond once offered to find a way to heal the burn, but she refused. Arirua had said that she had made her choice and now she had to suffer the consequences. Arirua was always so brave."

"Will you continue mother?" the dark haired boy asked eagerly. "Do they make it? Out of the forest, I mean."

"But of course, for their journey was not so short. There were still great many obstacles for the company." Arirua told him. "This would not be an easy journey for them. Now, as I was saying, just as Arirua had predicted, the rain came to a stop a short while after the company had started moving again. They…."

* * *

After the rain had stopped, it had made the traveling significantly easier. The ground was still muddy, but the chill air that had accompanied the downfall was gone. Arirua rode, clutching her arm to her stomach, trying to keep the pain to a minimal amount. She grunted as Elenduriel moved over a rough part of the road. She had to keep biting the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming out in pain, but she put on a good face, not wanting the members of the company to know how much pain she truly was in. That was why Arirua had decided to ride alone after the rain stopped; so she could suffer alone, like all those times she had done the same thing in Rivendell.

"You were right." Fili commented as he and his pony pulled up alongside Arirua and her horse.

"I am never wrong, master dwarf." Arirua told him. Fili just laughed. "Where is your brother? You two seem very close. It is weird not to see the two of you together."

"Well, we're not attached at the hip, Lady Arirua." she gave him look of annoyance. "What don't like being called Lady?"

"I do not like titles in general. I am not someone who is higher than you. I am your comrade not your superior." she explained to the blonde headed dwarf, trying to push the pain to the back of her mind.

"Alrighty then. Whatever you say." he told her. Arirua nodded, knowing that he didn't understand, but she was fine with that.

"Just do not call me Lady Arirua any longer. Arirua will do just fine. We are friends are we not?" Fili nodded, not understanding where this was going. "Do you call your friends lord and lady?" she asked him, laughing.

"No, of course…" he then realized that she was laughing at him. "Aren't you merry now." he said sarcastically.

"One must distract their mind when the pain is great, am I not correct?" Arirua commented, gripping her left arm tighter, as if it could stop the pain.

"Of course. Now, Arirua, may I ask a question?"

"You already have Fili, but yes, you may ask another." she said to him with a grin.

"Are you alone?" he asked. Arirua quickly realized that this was a serious question the young dwarf was asking her.

"Yes, if you mean do I have any kin. If that is in fact the meaning of your statement then yes, I am alone. I do not have any kin, here at least. My family lives elsewhere, but I cannot return there yet. It is just me, but in a way Lord Elrond and his family have become my own. They care for me and took me in. So I guess it is a yes and no answer. May I ask why you have asked such a question?"

"No reason." Fili answered, slightly quicker then she expected.

"You, friend, are a very bad liar." Fili gave Arirua a "who me?" face. "But I will let it pass, for now."

"Arirua. Arirua." Came a voice from behind her and Fili. Arirua turned her head, grimacing slightly at the pain that shot through her arm from moving too much. She saw a dwarf, one with dirty blonde hair that seemed to have been cut with a pair of trimmers and a bowl, which would have been placed on his head, along with little braids that hung from his hair. His beard was braided into two little braids. He carried a small book with him in his hand.

"Yes?" she asked him. "Ori right?"

"Yes, that's right." he said. "I was wondering, well some of were, uh, well Kili mentioned that you had interesting tales of the stars and we were wondering if you would tell us one." Arirua looked at him as he pulled up alongside her.

"What?" she asked.

"The stories," Kili said, riding up behind Ori, "one like the ones you told Fili and me last night during the watch."

"Ori! Kili! Can't you see that the poor lass is in pain?" Dori questioned the two younger dwarves.

"It is alright Dori." Arirua said, clutching her arm again, "I would welcome a distraction from the pain. Have you heard the tale about Amlugon?" After several moments of silence, Arirua could tell that they hadn't. "Amlugon was known as the Dragon of the Sky among my people. His star was the eye of the dragon constellation that soared through the night sky. Amlugon was the leader of the stars. He was, in a sense, their king." Arirua looked around and saw that now many of the members of the company were listening to her tale. "But Amlugon was known among our people, compared to all other stars, for one reason. There was a star," Arirua began as she redirected Elenduriel around a mud puddle that was leftover from the rainfall earlier, "a young star, who did not understand why the stars did as they did. She is the star that sits where the heart of the dragon would be. The star was Amlugon's daughter. Oh, how she shone bright for her father, never wanting to disappoint him. She cared for him very much. But she did not listen when the stars told her to turn her back on the world. The young star disobeyed her father. And because she did that, her…" Arirua took a deep breath before continuing, "Her father banished her from her place among the stars. He cursed her and sent her plummeting to the land she had grown to love. So now he is called the Heartless Star by many races. For now his constellation is without its heart and therefore it cannot love as it once did when she sat there. Amlugon does not shine as brightly as he once did. The tales say that he turned back to Middle Earth, to watch his daughter. It is believed that one day, she will be allowed to sit in her place amongst the stars again, but only when her father allows it."

The dwarves all rode in silence once Arirua had finished her tale.

"That is a sad tale indeed." Bilbo Baggins said, breaking through the silence.

"It is, but it is not. For one day the star will return home and get her happy ending." Arirua assured the listeners.

"All in all, how about another one?" Ori asked. "A more cheerful one."

"Okay Ori." the young girl said, "Let me see, oh how about…"

Just as she was about to start another tale, Thorin shouted back from the front of the line, "We will be coming to a halt shortly. We need to find a good place to rest, Gloin, Dori, ride on ahead and scout out a place to stop."

Arirua sighed. "I guess I will have to save my tale for another time." she told Ori. Arirua clicked again, moving Elenduriel into a trot to get a little distance between her and the others. She grimaced from the pain that was caused by the trotting.

"Whoa girl." she said, pulling back on the reins best she could with her right hand. Arirua sighed to herself, trying to blink back tears. She wasn't sure what had compelled her to tell that story, but it was taking its toll. She felt a tear starting to slide down her cheek; she quickly wiped it away with her right hand.

_No. No more tears._ She said to herself. _Apologies have been said and tears will do you no good now. You must wait._ Arirua looked up at the bright blue sky, knowing that he was looking down on her now. _But I am truly sorry. I am so sorry I did not listen._ Shaking her head, Arirua was pulled back to reality when she realized she was no longer moving.

"Come on my little Maid of the Stars." Arirua whispered to Elenduriel. "Just a little bit longer, and then rest for us all."

* * *

"But that means that Arirua is…" Eldarion started to said before Arwen spoke up.

"Yes, yes she is." Arwen told her son. "She is indeed."

* * *

**A/N: Hello lovely readers :D here it is... the promised chapter five. Questions have been answered, well kinda ;P! Did you like it, love it, hate it? Please let me know by writing a review :D I love suggestions and pointers! :) Anyways I hope you enjoyed the chapter and chapter six will soon be on the way... Virtual cookies to all my lovely readers, reviewers, and follwers :D -Love Zella ****_(hey that's me XD)_**


	6. Chapter 6

"We'll camp here for the night." Arirua heard Thorin say as she rode, being that last one of the company to arrive at the campsite Gloin and Dori had scouted out. "Fili, Kili," the two brothers heads popped up, ready to receive their uncle's orders, "look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them." Fili nodded and Kili had a bored look on his face. Arirua rode up alongside him.

"Not excited about your job ponysitter?" she asked him with a snicker.

"It's most likely the most boring job Thorin could have given us. I guess he just wants to give us something that we aren't going to mess up." he replied. Arirua just shook her head.

Arirua slowly swung her right leg over the horn of the saddle and slide of Elenduriel very carefully, trying not to jar her arm again. Despite her efforts, her arm still hurt a little bit, but Arirua could feel that the pain was less than the previous times. She let out a sigh of relief. _Hopefully it will be gone by tonight._ She thought hopefully to herself.

After she had dismounted, Arirua was able to get a good look at the area. It was very lush and green; the grass was still slightly damp from the rain that they had ridden through earlier. The forest area they had been traveling through was sat on the edge of the field, looking green and full. The trees swayed in the wind that blew ever so slightly. Arirua loved being so close to nature like this. In a way, it reminded her of parts of Rivendell. The elves always lived so close to nature, something she had never experienced before. Turning her attention from the forest, Arirua noticed the small house that stood a little ways away from the fence that most of the dwarves had stopped their ponies at. It was in ruins. The house looked as if it had been ripped apart, by what, Arirua couldn't imagine. She noticed bits and pieces of what looked like the small house lying around the area. Something wasn't right about this. She then heard Gandalf murmur to himself while he was walking through the ruins of the house,

"A farmer and his family used to live here." Thorin, who was to busy telling Oin and Gloin to get a fire going, didn't hear what he had.

"Gandalf?" Arirua asked, now sure that something wasn't right. "Gandalf, what is the matter?"

"I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the Hidden Valley." Gandalf said louder, knowing that Thorin would hear him this time. Thorin turned to him; Gandalf now had his full attention. Thorin walked through what was left of the door of the house.

"I have told you already," Thorin said, angered at the thought of the wizard even suggesting it, "I will not go near that place."

"Why not? The elves could help us." Gandalf tried to reason with the stubborn would-be king, "We could get food, rest, advice."

"I do not need _their advice._"

"We have a map we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us." Gandalf told him.

"Help?" Thorin asked with annoyance which was slowly turning to anger. "A dragon attacks Erebor, what help came from the Elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, the Elves looked on and did nothing. You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather and betrayed my father?"

"You are neither of them." Gandalf reminded Thorin. "I did not give you that map and key for you to hold on to the past."

"I did not know that they were yours to keep." Gandalf let out a sigh of frustration and turned away from Thorin. Arirua, who had now gone back to Elenduriel to unsaddle her and get the things she would need from the saddlebags before Kili and Fili took her to be with the other ponies, watched him go. She quickly stopped unbuckling, even though she wasn't sure how she was going to get the saddle off with only one arm, and followed him.

"Everything alright?" Bilbo asked, speaking up after noticing something was wrong. "Gandalf , where are you going?"

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense." he called back angrily.

"Who's that?" Bilbo questioned.

"Myself, Mr. Baggins!" he continued walking grumbling to himself as he went. "I've had enough dwarves for one day." Arirua stopped next to Bilbo, watching him go. She wished she could call out to him to stop, but she knew the wizard and she knew that he did need some time away from the company. Bilbo looked at Balin.

"Is he coming back?" he asked the white haired dwarf. Balin frowned and looked towards Gandalf, obviously not sure either.

"He will return; he always does." Arirua promised them. "Though, sometimes it is far later then you expect." Arirua quickly turned on her heel and began walking back to where she knew Elenduriel had been. When she got there, her horse was gone, along with the other ponies, but sitting in its place, was her saddle. She frowned at it, knowing very well she hadn't taken it off.

"The lad did it." Bofur told her. Arirua looked at him, curious which one he was talking about. "Kili took the saddle off before he took the horse."

"Ah, thank you for telling me." she said. Arirua couldn't help but smile to herself though.

Night fell quickly after they had set up camp. Soon the fire was built and dinner was being cooked and served. Arirua moved spoon through the soup that the dwarves had made, trying to find the vegetables. Giving up hope in finding any more, she looked up to see Bilbo looking out in the direction Gandalf had gone when he had left the camp.

"He's been gone a long time." Bilbo stated, pacing nervously.

"Who?" Bofur asked.

"Gandalf."

"He's a wizard! He does as he chooses." Bofur told him. Bilbo looked at Arirua, who gave him a reassuring smile.

"He will be back. Do not worry so Mister Baggins." she told him.

"See, even the lass knows he's going to come back. Here, do us a favor: take this to the lads." Bofur said, passing Bilbo two bowls filled to the brim with soup. While Bofur was distracted, Bombur tried to sneak some more soup. However, Bofur turned before he could sneak any into his bowl.

"Stop it," he said, smacking the spoon that was in Bombur's hand, "you've had plenty." Arirua laughed at the expression on Bombur's face. Arirua got up and walked over to where Bombur had sat down after he was denied more soup.

"Here." she said, passing him her bowl. He gave her a look, but took the leftover soup willingly. "I do not eat meat, but I do not want the food to go to waste." Bombur thanked her and smiled. She smiled back and turned back to walk past to the fire to where she had been sitting.

While she sat there, Arirua began to move her left arm, little by little. The pain had lessened significantly but it still hurt a little bit. After she was sure no one was looking, she pulled down her sleeve just enough to see the glowing was very dim now. That was her sign that the pain would soon be done, but she did not know when it would return. Arirua knew that they had become more frequent, which scared her. They had never been this close together, the pain intervals. They would happen weeks, up to months, apart.

Arirua suddenly frowned. She had not heard Bilbo return from taking the soup to Kili and Fili. It had been quite a long time, for taking soup to the brothers.

"Has Master Baggins returned?" she asked. The dwarves looked at her.

"Not yet." Gloin answered.

"I think I shall go check on him." Arirua said as she started to get up. "He has been quite a long time."

"He's with the lads." Bofur said, pulling his pipe out of his mouth. "He'll be…" However, before he was about to say that Bilbo would be fine, Kili and Fili came running out of the woods behind the campsite.

"Trolls have taken four of the horses." Kili said, very out of breath. Arirua noticed that he had the two bowls that had once been full of soup. Her eyes widened.

"Where is Bilbo?" she asked them, hoping they were not going to tell them that he had done what she was thinking he had done.

"He's gone to try and get the horses back." Fili answered her, breathing as heavily as his brother. Arirua closed her eyes.

Arirua quickly got up and pulled one of the daggers that was hidden in her boot out, ignoring that pain that was going through her arm from the motion. With her right hand she reached down and grabbed Lalar from its resting place next to where she had been sitting. The others followed her suit and quickly got to their feet, grabbing their weapons and started running to the forest. As Arirua started towards the forest, she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Thorin standing over her.

"Not you." he told her.

"What do you mean?" she asked him, slightly annoyed that he was trying to stop her from helping her friend.

"You are wounded. You'll get yourself hurt more if you fight." Thorin told her. "You will stay behind and watch the camp."

Arirua looked at him, almost to astonished to say anything. Finally she found her words.

"I am fine." she told him, trying her best to keep her temper in check. "I am not a child; you do not need to baby me." Thorin looked her.

"You are part of my company and you will do as I say." Arirua bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from saying the things that were going through her mind. She stuck the knife back into her boot in front of him.

"As you wish." Arirua said, turning back towards the fire. She turned her head to watch the company disappear into the shadows of the forest. Arirua grunted and tossed Lalar down onto the ground angrily. She was not a child. She could take care of herself.

Arirua looked up at the stars, knowing that they were laughing at her mortality.

"Laugh away. You put me here! Please, enjoy my suffering!" she shouted up at the heavens. Arirua plopped down on the log with her head in her hands. When she glanced up, she noticed something. Sitting next to her was Kili's bow and his quiver, full of arrows. She had to leave her bow back home, which had upset her deeply. Grabbing it, she smiled. It was heavy, but still it was a very nice bow.

Suddenly she stood up, grabbed the quiver full of arrows, and began walking towards the woods, leaving behind Lalar and the campsite.

As she was swallowed up by the shadows of the woods she smiled. She would fight, just not how Thorin believed she would.

* * *

**A/N: Soooo update :D YAHHH! Lol, trust me, I'm just as excited about finally getting this out to y'all as y'all are to getting it. Now I've gotta say something very important. Sense winter break is over, I now have returned to the dungeon that some people call school... therefore, sadly, chapters will be a little slower getting out there. Grades come first, well grades and church. BUT do not worry my readers, I will not leave you hanging forever. Hopefully I will be able to update on weekends or every other weekend.**

**Now, to the fun stuff. I LOVE ALL THE COMMENTS I'm getting :D They make my day. So, everyone who commented, thank you, you bring a smile to my face, which I need sometimes after coming home from school. Now, this is the new chapter... and I hope you enjoy it :D! Tell me what you think... love it? hate it? got a suggestion? got a question? I might answer the question in a riddle so I don't give away anything but... I'll still answer you :D Love you all :D Have a great week :D**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Because I don't usually do this and I probably should... all the lovely character from Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit do not belong to me :( They belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson... kinda. But Arirua is my character ;D.**

* * *

Arirua slid through the shadows of the shadows of the forest, avoiding both the trolls that had taken her comrade and the company itself. She had placed the quiver of arrows of her back and kept the bow in her hand, ready for anything.

She found the place where the two brothers had been keeping the ponies, and she saw the hoof prints that the ponies had left when they had bolted, out of fear no doubt. Arirua walked through the trees, scanning ahead as best she could so as to not make much noise. It had grown very dark and all she had to see was the light of the moon and the small light from the troll's campfire. And their voices. Arirua could hear them ringing through the woods now that she was away from the company's campfire and the loud conversations that the dwarves would have.

Arirua soon was very close to the light; causing her to duck behind some bushes in order not to be seen by the slow, stupid mountain trolls. She wrinkled her nose; she could smell them from where she was.

"Hold his toes over the fire." she heard one of them say, "Make him squeal." Arirua quickly pulled one of the arrows from the quiver sensing trouble when she heard the scream of one of the trolls. Then she heard his voice.

"Drop him!" said Kili. Arirua turned to look over the string of bushes she was hiding behind. She could see him, standing there, looking up at the trolls with this look she couldn't describe.

"You what?" said the troll that was holding Bilbo. The poor hobbit was hanging upside down, held there by his foot. Arirua quickly strung the arrow she had pulled and stood up, allowing the light from the fire to wash over her.

"I believe the dwarf said put him down." Arirua told the trolls. They all, including Bilbo and Kili, turned to look at her. "Now, put him down before I shoot this arrow through your heads." She pulled back on the arrow to show her point. The troll that was holding her frowned and then suddenly turned back to where Kili was standing. Before Arirua or Kili could react, the hobbit was sailing through the air and landing on top of the dark haired dwarf.

That was when the rest of the company came rushing out, axes and swords at the ready. Their attack was swift, many went for the knees and feet, seeing as that was all they could reach. Arirua climbed out from behind the bushes and began shooting when she could, being sure to hit none of the company.

Dori, the dwarf that hair that resembled the fish that were shaped like a star, was kicked across the campsite by one of the trolls. Arirua winced when he landed. She watched as Bofur crushed one of the troll's toes with his hammer.

Suddenly Arirua saw Bilbo, unarmed, running through the chaos. She quickly took off running. He stopped and hid behind one of the barrels that were just sitting in the middle of the clearing. She saw him glance over at the horses and begin looking around in search of something. Arirua started to run to him, to tell to stop thinking about whatever was going through his head, but she was stopped when one of the trolls began running towards her. Arirua looked around at Gloin, Bombur, and Dori, hoping that one may have a close range weapon that she could use. She had been so stupid to leave Lalar sitting at the campsite the way she had. Arirua pulled a long dagger from her boot, planning on making the best with what she had when she saw the dwarf sliding under the troll. The dark haired dwarf slide underneath the feet of the troll and jumped up and stabbed the stupid creature in the stomach.

"What are you doing here?" she heard the dwarf ask. "Thorin told you to stay at the camp."

"And I…" Arirua started to say as she pulled another arrow from the quiver and shot it into the shoulder of the troll, "am not to be babied. I am not made of glass. I will not break if I fight." She did a quick roll out of the reach of the troll's big hand that reached for her. Kili followed her, jumping up and bring down a blow the hand. "I am not glass!" she repeated.

"He's just looking out for you." Kili tried explaining.

"I do not need looking after!" Arirua said grunting. She was running low on arrows and patience as well. Suddenly she was pushed to the ground by the dark haired brother; Arirua started to get up and begin to berate him for pushing her down as he did but she saw why he had done it. A different troll had taken an interest in their little party and had swung his hand in their general direction.

"Don't need looking after huh?" Kili said, getting up and offering his hand to Arirua. The woman slapped his hand aside and got up herself.

"I will have you know that I had the whole thing completely under control." Kili gave her a raised eyebrow look. To prove her point, Arirua pulled one of the last arrows out of the quiver. She quickly strung it and pulled back aiming for the troll's foot. She waited for a moment; as soon as the troll lifted his foot, she let the arrow fly. It found its mark and troll cried out in pain. "I have the situation under control I assure you Master Dwarf."

"Ah, yah, ah…" Kili stammered, trying to find words to express the ideas going through his head. "Don't, ah, waste all my arrows!" he said finally.

Arirua just rolled her eyes as she started running back into the thick of the fight. "It is not wasting them if I am saving your life." Kili watched her go. She was truly beautiful, in a way he couldn't describe. There were no women like Arirua in the Blue Mountains.

"Come on lad," Balin yelled at him, bring him out of his thoughts about the fair-haired beauty, "this is no time for daydreams." Kili shook his head, focusing back on the fight.

Arirua joined in the fight where ever she could. She watched as Dori was picked up by his weapon and swung around until Ori, being the small brave soul he was, took his slingshot, and shot the dumb brute that was throwing his brother around in the eye. Arirua turned to see the troll lose interest in Dori and begin to chase Ori, who began running in the opposite direction right into the hand of the one of the other trolls. Just as Arirua prepared to shot the creature in the eye, she saw Dwalin, the tall, gruff, bald headed dwarf, do a flip over the small pot that rested on the fire in the middle of the fight and land on his forearms and knees. Suddenly, Thorin, who Arirua had seen fighting the hardest during the battle, jumped off his back and into the arm of the troll holding Ori. Thorin brought his sword down on the creatures arm, making it shout in pain and release Ori.

During the fight, Arirua found herself fighting alongside Balin and Fili. They sliced at the knees and feet while she shot for the higher parts of the body like the troll's face or arms.

"What… are… you… doing here?" Fili asked her at one point during their fight against the bigger troll.

"It is very funny Fili, but you and your brother ask the same question." Arirua said laughing to herself. "I will tell you as I told him. I am not made of glass; therefore I will not be treated as if I am made of glass." Arirua reached up to the quiver to have her hand meet with emptiness. The woman's eyes widened.

"I am out of arrows." she said. She quickly reached down and grabbed one of the arrows that the troll had pulled from his arm and restrung it to let it go again.

The sound of hooves interrupted her moment of panic. Fili and Arirua looked up to see the ponies running away from the fight. _Bilbo did it._ she thought to herself.

The next few moments came in a blur. Arirua, Dwalin, and Fili attacked the troll that had captured Ori in his hand. It was Fili in the end who was able to get the beast to release the young dwarf, throwing him across the troll campsite. Arirua quickly ran over to were Ori had landed, helping him up along with Dori and Kili. Suddenly, the small group of the company that was near Arirua stopped and looked up. She glanced up as well, and the sight made her nearly drop poor Ori on the ground again.

Two of the trolls stood over them, holding Bilbo by his hands and feet.

"Bilbo!" Kili shouted, beginning to rush towards him, only to be stopped by Thorin.

"No!"

"Lay down your arms." one of the trolls said, "Or we'll rip his off!" Arirua could see the fear in the poor hobbit's face. She moved her foot slightly and felt something move underneath of it. Glancing down, she saw an arrow, one that had not been bent or broken. Arirua slowly bent down and snatched it off the ground, stringing it almost instantly.

Arirua watched as the rest of the company, lead by Thorin, put down their weapons. Some were placed down and others were thrown down in anger. That was when Arirua took that moment to pull up Kili's bow and the single arrow, aimed at the head of what seemed like the lead troll.

"Put him down." she said as calmly as she could.

"You too woman. Arms down or the flurgaburburrahobbit loses his!" Arirua's grip did not loosen from the bow, her anger was now increasing.

How DARE they talk to her as if she were dirt! How dare they threaten her life and the lives of her comrades!

"Drop the bow!" Thorin said, pulling her out of her thoughts. Arirua glared at him. "For once today DO AS I SAY!"

Arirua looked at Bilbo and then looked at Thorin and then she looked at Kili, who nodded. Brow furrowed with anger, Arirua pulled the arrow off the string and made a giant motion of throwing them onto the ground before the trolls and Thorin.

"Good." said the troll that had spoken first. "Now, get the bags."

* * *

Eldarion was now sitting on the edge of his bed next to his mother. During the part about the troll fight, he had climbed out from underneath of the covers and moved closer to his mother.

"Oh, please don't stop now mother." he said as Arwen stood up. She smiled at her son and sat back down on the bed.

"But you must go to sleep my son." Arwen said, brushing his forehead lightly.

"I am not yet tired," the young boy said, stifling a yawn that gave him away, "Please just a little more." Arwen sighed.

"Alright, just a little bit more."

* * *

Those who hadn't been placed into the bags were tied to a spit over the fire pit. Arirua struggled, trying to find a way out of her sack. She was squished between Oin, who she had come to realize was quite deaf and Kili. She, Kili, Fili, Thorin, Oin, Bombur, Gloin, Bilbo, and Balin were all struggling to get out of their bags, but they also had to watch the trolls slowly turning six of their friends on a spit over an ever growing fire.

"Don't bother cooking them. Let's just sit on them and squash them into jelly." one of the trolls said.

"They should be sautéed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage." another troll said. He seemed to be the cook of the three, always going on about spices and ingredients that would make the meal taste better.

"Is this really necessary?" Arirua heard Dori shout from the spit.

"Ooh, that does sound quite nice." said the third and final troll. Arirua had come to realize that he was the dumbest of the three, always making dumb comments or mistakes that would get him into trouble with the other two.

"Untie us, you monsters!" yelled Oin, right into Arirua's ear.

"Take on someone your own size!" Gloin yelled along with his brother.

"Never mind the seasoning; we ain't got all night! Dawn ain't far away, so let's get a move on. I don't fancy being turned to stone." said the troll turning the spit while the dumb one poked at the dwarves on the spit with a metal prong he found. Arirua's head popped up at the same time Bilbo's did. They both looked at each other, thinking about what the troll had said. Suddenly the hobbit stood up, goodness knows how, in his sack.

"WAIT!" Bilbo said loudly, grabbing the attention of the three trolls and thirteen dwarves, "You are making a terrible mistake."

"You can't reason with them, they're half-wits!" Dori yelled, trying to escape the ropes that tied him to the spit.

"Half-wits!? What does that make us?" Bofur asked from the other side of the spit. While the dwarves were arguing about half-wits and what not, Arirua reached down into her boot, searching for one of her knives. Her hand was met with nothing. She grunted in frustration.

"What's wrong?" Kili asked in a whisper.

"I have run out of knives. I threw too many while we were fighting them." Arirua was frowning.

"It's fine. We'll get out of this somehow." Kili promised her. Arirua's lips curled into a small smile; despite their situation, Kili still manager to make her smile, something that not many could do.

"Uh, I meant with the, uh, with, uh, with the seasoning." Bilbo said, continuing with the trolls.

"What about the seasoning?" asked the cook, leaning forward towards the hobbit.

"Well have you smelt them?" Bilbo asked him. The troll took a whiff of the dwarves laying in the bags and seemed to get Bilbo's point. "You're going to need something stronger than sage before you plate this lot up." A chorus of "I don't smells" and "Traitors" rang up from the pile of dwarves. Arirua knew he was playing for time but she couldn't help feel ever so slightly offended.

"What do you know about cooking dwarf?" asked the leader.

"Shut up, and let the, uh, flurgaburburrahobbit talk." demanded the cook, giving his full attention to Bilbo. Bilbo frowned at the troll for getting his name wrong but continued.

"Uh, th-the secret to cooking dwarf is, um-" he said stammering, trying to think of something off the top of his head.

"Yes? Come on.

"It's, uh-" The dwarves on the spit and in the sacks waited expectantly for Bilbo's answer. Arirua could feel some of them getting restless and nervous.

"Tell us the secret."

"Ye-yes, I'm telling you, the secret is" Bilbo said. Suddenly, they all saw that he had gotten an idea as it washed over his face "… to skin them first!" The entire company cried out in anger, even Arirua.

"Tom, get me the filleting knife." said the cook.

"Bilbo," hissed Arirua, "you are supposed to buy us time, not seal our fates." She knew that the dwarves hadn't heard what she had said for they were still going on about the hobbit being a traitor. Except Thorin, who had stayed very quiet through the whole ordeal.

"If I get you, you little-" she heard Gloin say.

"I won't forget that!" Dwalin's unmistakable gruff voice said from the spit.

The troll was apparently named Tom said, "What a load of rubbish! I've eaten plenty with their skins on. Scuff them, I say, boots and all."

"`e's right! Nothing wrong with a bit of raw dwarf! Nice and crunchy." the dumb troll said. He trudged over and picked up Bombur, who was in one of the sacks along with Arirua, and dangled him upside down over his mouth. Arirua looked away, almost burying her face into Kili's shoulder. She did not want to watch her friend be eaten by trolls.

"Not-not that one," Bilbo said, trying to save Bombur from his horrible fate.

"Are you okay?" Kili whispered to Arirua. The pale blonde nodded, but still stayed close to Kili.

"He-he's infected!" Bilbo told the troll holding Bombur, who gave a noise of shock.

"You what?" Tom asked him.

"Yeah, He's got worms in his … tubes." Bilbo said, trying to sound as matter-a-fact as possible. The troll holding Bombur drops the dwarf back onto the pile nearly crushing Oin, Arirua, and Kili from the wait.

"In-in fact they all have, they're in-infested with parasites. It's a terrible business; I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't." Bilbo told them.

"What about the girl?" the dumb one asked. By now, Kili, Oin, and Arirua had pushed Bombur off of them and were finally able to breathe a little easier. Arirua looked up to the troll's hand reaching down for her. She tried to move out of the way but there was nowhere to go; they were backed up against a line of rocks and the dwarves were all piled on top of each other.

"Let go of me!" Arirua screamed , moving around as much as she could to loosen the troll's grip. "Faica!" she cursed at the troll. "Faica!"

"Put her down!" she heard Kili yell. She could tell by his voice that he was very angry. "Or I will make sure that you regret ever laying a hand on her!"

"Her too." Bilbo told them. "She's infected with parasites too." Arirua was suddenly dropped from a very high distance onto Kili and Oin.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, out of breath from having the wind knocked out of her.

"Parasites, did he say parasites?" Oin asked all of a sudden.

"We don't have parasites! You have parasites!" Kili shouted childishly at Bilbo. Arirua giggled slightly, even though she knew that it was a highly inappropriate time for it. She tried to move off of Kili, but Oin had rolled over and taken up much of her previous space. The young woman was now stuck half laying on Kili's chest and half laying on the ground, which meant being crushed by Oin.

"What are you talking about, laddie?" Gloin demanded of the hobbit. The rest of the dwarves chimed in, making comments about how they didn't have parasites, that the hobbit was lying about the whole thing. Bilbo rolled his eyes, annoyed with the dwarves for not catching on. Thorin, who had been silent this whole time, kicked Kili and others. Arirua grunted, having felt the kick herself. They all turned to look at him and their eyes widened slightly.

"I've got parasites as big as my arm." Oin said slowly.

"Mine are the biggest parasites, I've got huge parasites!" Kili insisted, causing Arirua to laugh again.

"I have the biggest parasites!" Arirua said loudly, "Mine are much bigger than his!" she added dramatically. She felt Kili laughing silently to himself.

"We're riddled." Nori called out.

"Yes, I'm riddled." Ori told them.

"Yes we are. Badly!" Dori insisted.

Tom, the leader of the three, looked at Bilbo, "What would you have us do, then, let 'em all go?"

"Well..." Bilbo said, shrugging in a nonchalant way.

"You think I don't know what you're up to?" Tom asked Bilbo. "This little ferret is taking us for fools!"

"Ferret?" asked the offended Bilbo.

"Fools?" the cooked asked, taken aback.

"The dawn will take you all!" Gandalf said, his voice bellowing through the clearing. The dwarves all turned to look and saw Gandalf standing on top of a stone, high above the trolls.

"Who's that?" one of the trolls asked.

"No idea."

"Can we eat `im too?" asked the dumb one. Gandalf raised his staff and brought it down, breaking the rock into two parts, allowing the sunlight to shine through the space between the rocks. The company watched as the sunlight hit the skin of the trolls and it slowly change color from the ugly color it had been to stone gray. The trolls tried to move but in a matter of moments, they were rendered to stone, stuck in that position until they eroded away. Cheers rang out from the dwarves all around the campsite, even the dwarves that were still tied to the spit, although they looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Oh get your foot out of my back!" the dwarves in the sacks heard Dwalin say.

The company quickly begins to untie or escape bags and spit as quickly as they could. Gandalf was sure to help Bilbo free first, allowing him to untie the others while he and Thorin went to figure out how to get the ones on the spit down. Bilbo was sure to release Arirua from her sack first.

"There you go Miss." he said as he pulled a final time. As soon as the ropes were untied the bag fell straight off her shoulders and onto the floor.

"Thank you Mister Baggins. Go take care of the others." She then turned to Kili, who was still lying on the ground, not having yet master how to stand up in the burlap sack. "Would you like some help?" she asked him.

"If you are offering, yes. If you are just making jokes, no." Kili told the girl. Arirua laughed and leaned down to untie the knot.

"Thank you for catching me, sort of." she said, as she tried to figure out the knot. The dark haired dwarf looked up at her and smiled.

"I couldn't let a pretty thing like you get hurt could I?" Arirua turned her face away, allowing her hair to fall in her face hiding her blush.

"You think I am pretty?" Arirua asked timidly. Kili opened his mouth to answer when Thorin could be heard across the clearing,

"Kili, Fili, hurry up and get over here. We're going to need your help."

"I guess I need to go help Thorin." Kili said. Arirua nodded and pulled a final time, releasing the dwarf from the bag.

"Um, yes, of course." Arirua said. She quickly turned away because she didn't want Kili to see the blush that was growing across her pale skin.

* * *

"Mother, why does there have to be love in the story?" Arwen's son asked. "This story is suppose to be about adventure and fighting, not kissing." Arwen laughed at her son's reasoning.

"Well, I guess we must stop there Eldarion, for there is much more love coming up." She pulled the covers back up to her son's chin and kissed him on the forehead. "Good night Eldarion." Arwen walked over and just as she was about to blow out the candle, Eldarion spoke up.

"I want to hear what happens to Bilbo though. Please don't stop now mother. You're just getting to the good parts." Arwen laughed, knowing that her little trick had worked. She was enjoying the time with her son and did not care to stop yet.

"Alright. After the dwarves got the six off the spit…"

* * *

"Where did you go to, if I may ask?" Thorin questioned Gandalf after the six had been rescued from the spit. The company was gather their things from around the clearing, gathering up what weapons they could.

"To look ahead." Gandalf explained.

"What brought you back?"

"Looking behind." Gandalf said, looking Thorin in the face." Nasty business. Still, they are all in one piece." he commented, looking at it from the bright side.

"No thanks to your burglar." Thorin said seriously.

"He had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that." Thinking about it, Thorin nodded slightly. Together, they began examining the statues that had once been trolls.

"They must have come down from the Ettenmoors." Gandalf thought out loud.

"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?" Thorin asked Gandalf as he studied them.

"Oh, not for an age," said Gandalf as a dark shadow passed over his face, "not since a darker power ruled these lands."

Gandalf and Thorin stood in silence for a moment thinking.

"They could not have moved in daylight." Gandalf stated.

"There must be a cave nearby." Thorin quickly started walking towards a rocky area he could see.

"Thorin?" Balin yelled after the King, "Where are you going?"

"To find a troll hoard."

There was murmuring between the dwarves after Thorin had disappeared through the trees of the forest around them. Several of the dwarves started after him.

"Troll hoard?" Bilbo asked, confused. Arirua nodded, still picking up pieces of arrows from around the campsite. She rested her hand on Lalar to make sure the sword was still there. After Kili had left to help his uncle, Arirua had quickly and quietly ran back to the camp to grab her sword. She had left everything else, figuring they would return to get their supplies later.

"Treasure, laddie." Gloin told him. Bilbo's eyes widened.

"Come along then Mr. Baggins." Arirua said, starting to walk, "We do not want to miss out on any of the adventure do we?" Bilbo quickly caught up to her and they followed the other dwarves and Thorin.

* * *

**A/N: Hello there lovelies... I have made you wait for so long and I'm sorry, but HERE'S A LOOONG CHAPTER :D I think this is the longest chapter I have ever written in my life... wow. Anyways, comment are encouraged and greatly appreciated. I'm gonna do a special thanks thing real quick. Hopefully I'll start writing little comments, but for now, I'm just gonna list out your names and give you all a huge thanks :D**

**Soooo a big THANKS to... reika88, Kaija212, jefferyA, SarahBloomSakura, Wise Owl Eyes, bluebaby3296, Dalonega Noquisi, the Oz Meister and Jen Baas, ZabuzasGirl, sillystring-roxs-the-earth, shopgirllaura, KiliLover, Guest, 88XeqtionerAngel88, AuraRedWolf, KeepingThemAtBay, FrankieFusciaxx, Teleryn, 13Nyx13, Enchanted Elf, and all 41 of you who faved the story or the 72 of you who alerted it (does that make sense?). I really appreciate all of you :D**

**Chapter 8 is in the makings as we speak... so hopefully it will be up sooner than this one was posted. Thanks for the wait :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

They had been walking for only a few minutes when they came upon the troll hoard. It was nothing but a tunnel, dug straight down into the Earth. As Arirua got closer, she gagged from the stench that was rising from the hole.

"Oh, what's the stench?" Nori asked as they got closer to the opening.

"It's a troll hoard." Gandalf informed Nori. Arirua stepped back, not wanting to go in. "Be careful what you touch." Gandalf told the ones that entered the cave. Deciding to go in, Arirua took one last deep breath of fresh air and ventured into the hole. The tunnel lead down, and as it went down, the stronger the stench got. Arirua and many of the other dwarves that had come in began coughing. Arirua couldn't help but gasp slightly at the things the trolls had managed to gather.

As Thorin's torch past over an area on his right, there was a gleam of gold. Bifur, Nori, and Gloin were instantly drawn to it.

"Seems a shame just to leave it lyin' around. Anyone could take it." Bifur commented, kicking at some of the gold coins that were splayed out across the dirt floor. The fair haired woman just shook her head. She glanced around, taking in the piles of things that their previous captors had acquired.

"Agreed." she heard Gloin say. "Nori," Arirua heard the top of something slam shut and knew that Gloin had caught his friend off guard, "get a shovel." Arirua just shook her head, laughing silently to herself at the dwarves and their love for golden trinkets. Taking an interest in the hoard out of curiosity, Arirua began pawing her way through one of the piles of odds and ends.

She looked up when Thorin passed over her; he made his way to a small wrack that held different kinds of swords. He grabbed one, only to throw it aside and grab two different ones. The one in his right hand Gandalf took from him. It had a long grip with simple detailing. It was a long, straight and thin blade, covered in cobwebs and dust, but beautiful all the same.

Arirua rose to her feet; even from where she stood, she knew that these were no ordinary blades. Thorin kept one of them. It too had a long grip that looked wooden thought she knew it was something far stronger. The cross-guard was only on one side, curved and delicate. It was a curved blade, like the slight curve of the crescent moon she had watched cross the night. It suited Thorin, Arirua decided. Living with the elves she knew that swords picked their wielders, not the other way around.

"These swords were not made by any troll." Thorin said, examining the sheath and the hilt of the blade.

"Nor were they made by any smith among men." Gandalf said. He pulled the blade from its sheath only slightly, enough to look at the blade itself. "These were forged in Gondolin by the High Elves of First Age." the wizard said after studying the blade for a moment. Arirua quickly walked over to Gandalf, placing out her hands, asking the wizard if she could see the sword. Gandalf agreed and passed her the sword. As he did so, he saw Thorin trying to place the sword he had kept back into the wrack. "You could not wish for a finer blade!" Arirua passed Gandalf back his sword.

"He is right Master Thorin. These are swords that have seen battle. They have names, though I do not know enough about them to tell to you." Arirua could feel her temper rising slightly. "These swords should not be here. They belong in battle, not sitting here collecting dust." She turned to Thorin. "Take the blade. It will be good for this weapon of war to see battle again. As Mithrandir said, there are no finer blades in all the land." The star's hand rested upon Lalar. Thorin looked at her and suddenly pulled the sword of its sheath, studying the blade. Gandalf put the blade back into its sheath as he returned to glancing around the dirt cavern.

Deciding that she had had enough of the smell and the anger she was feeling, Arirua began to leave the cave, but not before she stopped to see what the dwarves had done with the shovel. While she, Gandalf, and Thorin had been looking at the swords of Gondolin, they had dug a small hole and filled a small hole and filled a small chest to the brim with gold; they then placed the chest into the hole and began to rebury it. Her eyebrows furrowed at them and glanced at Dwalin, who just shrugged.

"We're makin' a long term deposit." Gloin informed them as they filled up the hole. Arirua laughed and continued her way out of the tunnel, lungs screaming for clean, fresh air. As she made it out into the sunlight, she heard Thorin calling to the others to exit the tunnel. That meant they were leaving soon. They still had to go back and get the ponies and supplies but soon they would be back in the saddle.

Arirua stood in the sunlight, looking around. She saw Bombur talking to Dori about something she couldn't make out. She saw Kili trying to figure out what Bifur was saying. Thinking of Kili made Arirua blush slightly.

Arirua slowly walked alone, looking up at the sunlight, bathing in its pure light. Before she had fallen from the heavens, she had never felt the sun's light. Sense surviving the fall, Arirua decided that it was something she enjoyed very much. The sun had a certain warmth to it that the moon sometimes lacked.

There was a rustle in the bushes close by. Arirua quickly pulled Lalar from its sheath, brandishing the long silver blade in her right hand.

"Something's coming!" she heard Thorin yell. The dwarves quickly gathered together and Arirua found herself standing next to Fili. Fili flashed her an encouraging smile. Suddenly, a group of rabbits, pulling a sleigh with a man dressed from head to toe in brown, came barreling out of the bushes.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" he yelled. The man stopped short when he realized that he was surrounded by dwarves brandishing weapons.

"Radagast!" Gandalf said with a sigh of relief. Arirua quickly placed Lalar back into her sheath, knowing that Radagast was not one to cause harm to anyone. "It's Radagast the Brown." Gandalf said, assuring the company that he did indeed know this man. Mithrandir walked over to him, weaving his way through the company. "Ah. What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you Gandalf." Radagast said in a hurry. "Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong."

"Yes?" Gandalf asked, waiting to hear the news that had brought the wizard all the way from his cozy little home in the woods, far away from the people of Middle Earth.

Radagast opens his mouth to begin his tale, but he shut again. He repeated the process two more times. Arirua quickly realized that once more, Radagast had forgotten what he had been about to say.

"Oh, just give me a minute. Um, oh, I had a thought, and now I've lost it. It was, it was right there, on the tip of my tongue." Suddenly his eyebrows bunched together. "Oh," he said realizing something, "it's not a thought at all; it's a silly old…" he said with his tongue curled up in his mouth, making it difficult to understand. The company watched as Gandalf took a stick insect off the brown wizard's tongue and place it in Radagast's hand. "...stick insect." The company looks slightly disturbed, except Arirua.

"I see that you have not yet changed Radagast." Arirua said, stepping forward. "It is good to see you again."

"Ah, yes, of course, it's, um, it's you!" he said stammering. Arirua smiled gently, knowing that he had forgotten who she was entirely.

"Arirua." she said, supplying her name for him.

"Ah, yes, of course. You were the one that Elrond sent to me about the arm." he said, remembering. He momentarily got distracted as a small brown bird flew past.

Radagast pulled off his hat to show off to the bird nest to the bird that had been placed on top of his head. The small bird flew and landed in the nest before the wizard placed his hat back on his head. "Let me see. Let me see." Arirua jumped back, bringing her hand up to her shoulder, shielding it from him.

"I do not think that this is a wise idea Radagast." Gandalf said, "Come along and tell me what is bothering you Radagast." As Mithrandir lead him away, Arirua let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright lass?" Fili asked.

"Yes I am fine. Just need a moment alone, that's all." Arirua quickly walked away from the company, following Radagast and Gandalf as she went.

"The Greenwood is sick, Gandalf. A darkness has fallen over it. Nothing grows any more, at least nothing good. The air is foul with decay. But worst are the webs." she heard Radagast say to Gandalf. She frowned, thinking about the elves that lived in the Greenwood. Arirua heard movement from over in the area they were standing. As quickly as she could, she ducked behind a rock and curled up slightly to hide from Gandalf.

"Webs? What do you mean?" Gandalf asked the other wizard.

"Spiders, Gandalf. Giant ones. Some kind of spawn of Ungoliant, or I am not a Wizard. I followed their trail. They came from Dol Guldur." Radagast explained to Mithrandir. Arirua tried to steady her breathing. These tales that the brown wizard told were not things to be laughed at or pushed aside; they were living nightmares.

"Dol Guldur? But the old fortress is abandoned." Gandalf asked, surprised at the name. Arirua's eyebrows scrunched together; Dol Guldur never meant anything good. A great darkness lay over that part of the land.

"No, Gandalf, it is not."

Arirua heard rustling of the company and knew that she should return to them soon, knowing that they would come looking for her sooner or later. The young woman got up quickly and tiptoed away from the two wizards.

"There you are. We were beginnin' to worry about ya." Bofur said as she walked back to where the company was.

"Thank you for your concerns. I just need a moment alone." she said in reply. She quietly walked over to where Kili was standing, trying not to blush at the sight of him. His words came back to her, a wave of emotion following them. Arirua quickly shook them off.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she got closer to him. Kili looked up from his work and a smirk crept across his face.

"Fixing my arrows you either broke or bent during our fight with the trolls." he said teasingly. Arirua frowned at him in a joking manner.

"I will have you know, I saved your life more times than you can count. I believe that those bent and broken arrows represent how many times your life was saved. How many arrows do you have?"

"Thirty maybe. Give or take a little." he said, guessing.

"Then it is now thirty to zero. I am winning. I believe that you in fact owe me now." she said, trying not laugh. Kili looked at her and laughed with her.

"I believed that you will find that it is one to thirty. I saved you from that fall you took earlier, if memory serves me right." he said to her. Arirua felt her cheeks begin to get warm again. She felt a light touch under her chin, directing her to look at him.

"I meant what I said. Earlier I mean." Kili told her. Arirua looked him in the eyes.

_He had meant to say it. _she thought to herself, smiling on the inside.

"Truly?" she asked quietly.

"Of course…" he said to her. Arirua couldn't help but smile at him. His eyes shone with truth, something about it told her that she could trust the words he said to her.

Suddenly, an animal howl rang through the forest.

The dwarves all jumped up, looking around. Arirua stepped back from Kili, scanning the woods for the source of the bone shaking sound.

"Was that a wolf? Are there-are there wolves out there?" Bilbo asked nervously. Arirua shook her head; she didn't want to face that sound.

"Wolves? No, that is not a wolf." Bofur said looking around them. Arirua looked at Kili and he nodded. She slowly pulled Lalar out of its sheath.

Suddenly, there was a crunch of twigs and leaves behind them. Then came the growling started. The warg came creeping down from behind them, growling and snarling with its matted fur and long, sharp teeth. It leapt over the ones closer to the fallen star and Kili. Upon landing, the beast was instantly cut down by Thorin. As one came running up from behind Thorin, Arirua could hear Thorin yelling at Kili to get his bow. The dark haired dwarf quickly pulled out one of his newly fixed arrows and shot the creature in the eye, causing it to roll down the hill. Once reaching the bottom, Dwalin brought his hammer down onto the beast's head, instantly defeating it.

"Warg-Scouts!" Thorin said as Gandalf and Radagast returned to the company after their conversation. Thorin pulled his sword from the beast before continuing. "Which means an Orc pack is not far behind." Arirua frowned, subconsciously stepping closer to Kili. He gave her a feeling of comfort.

"Orc pack?" Bilbo asked. Arirua remembered him hearing about the orcs from the brothers. The gruesome tale that Balin and them had painted was only scratching the surface.

"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf asked Thorin.

"No one."

"Who did you tell?" Gandalf bellowed.

"No one, I swear." Thorin told him. "What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted." Gandalf said, looking around the clearing. Arirua slide closer to Kili, needing more of his comforting feeling.

"We have to get out of here." Dwalin said.

"We can't." Everyone turned to look up at Ori who must have gone to get the ponies. "We have no ponies; they bolted."

"What of Elenduriel?" Arirua asked Ori.

"We couldn't find your horse miss. Seems as if she's bolted too." Ori told her. _She's gone home._ thought Arirua.

"I'll draw them off." Radagast said suddenly. The company turned to look at the brown wizard.

"These are Gundabad Wargs; they will outrun you." Gandalf said, turning to look at his friend, trying to reason with him.

"These are Rhosgobel Rabbits;" Radagast said with a determined look on his face. "I'd like to see them try."

As Radagast mounted his sled, the dwarves quickly began to gather up what they could. Enough that they would have previsions but not enough to slow them down.

When Radagast shot out of the trees into the wide open plain, Gandalf peaked around the corner of the boulder they were hiding behind. As soon as he was sure the orcs and their wargs were following Radagast he motioned for them to follow him.

"Come on!" he said. The dwarves all quickly ran out from behind the boulder in small clumps or alone. Arirua ran between Fili and Kili as often as she could. They ran down a small hill covered in rocks. Arirua could hear the shouts of orcs and the growling of wargs on the other side of the cliff. The company kept closer to the tall and rather large stones that seemed to grow out of the ground along with the brown grass.

Thorin took the lead of the company, leading them away from the rocks. Suddenly, they saw Radagast pass by on his sleigh. Everyone froze in place, not daring to breath. "Stay together." Gandalf told them. They all quickly turned around and took off running. Everyone was running as fast as they could, but somewhere beginning to feel the effects of lack of sleep and food. Arirua's speed began to slow. She hadn't had a good sleep in a long time and she could feel her energy level draining. A hand grabbed hers. She looked up to see Kili's face.

"Can't have you falling behind now can I?" he said. "Run." he whispered.

Her speed increased. They continued running until Thorin suddenly stopped.

"Ori, no! Come back!" he said, pulling the youngest of the company back into the shadows. Running across the plain from them were the orcs. Arirua crinkled her nose; she could feel her hatred burning. They were filth, nothing more. They were creatures that did not belong in a world so promising as Middle Earth.

"Come on! Quick!" Gandalf whispered loudly. The dwarves began running in the way he had motioned.

"Something about this place is familiar." the star whispered silently.

"Where are you leading us?" Thorin asked as her and Kili got closer. Gandalf gave him a weary look, and Arirua suddenly frowned, wondering if Gandalf was brave enough to do such a thing. The hatred between the two of them was so strong.

As they ran over another hill, they saw the rabbits and sleigh; as quickly as they could, they all ran to the closest rock to hide in its shadows.

Then they heard the growling from overhead and the blade being pulled from its sheath. All the company stopped breathing for a second, scared that they would be caught by the orc.

Thorin nodded to Kili, who slowly and quietly pulled an arrow from his quiver and strung it. He ran out in front of the boulder and pulled back the arrow, letting it fly as soon as the warg snarled at him. Kili shot the warg three times until it finally fell of the rock and in front of the company. The warg let out a cry, loud enough that Arirua knew that the rest of its pack had heard. The orc pulled himself out from underneath his steed and lunged at the company.

Instantly Dwalin and Arirua leapt into action. Dwalin attacking from the right and she from the left. As she brought Lalar down for a strong blow, she was pushed back by the orc. The shove sent her rocketing backwards towards the boulder and the company. She expected someone to catch her, to stop her, but that didn't happen. A split second after the shove, the back of the star's head hit the boulder. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground. She was instantly surrounded by the company but all she could hear was Kili.

"Arirua!" he kept saying. "Arirua, can you hear me?" The woman frowned, trying to concentrate through all the pain.

"Kili." she whispered. "Kili, my head."

"Move!" she heard Gandalf say. She slowly began climbing to her feet. The pain was so strong, she nearly fell back over. "Run!" Arirua bit her lip and began to run, the throbbing from her head wound getting worse.

Kili ran alongside her, still holding her hand tightly. Fili had joined his brother on the other side of the young woman. As they ran across the grassy plain, Arirua could hear the company yelling different things, though she couldn't quite make them out. She could hear the wargs though barking and yipping in excitement.

"This way!" Gandalf shouted urgently. "Quickly!"

They ran into a clearing of tall pale grass. Arirua and the rest of the company could see the wargs and their riders on the tops of the small hills that surrounded the area. They were trapped with no where left to run.

"There's more coming!" Kili yelled to his uncle.

Thorin replied with, "Kili! Shoot them!" Arirua quickly, grimacing while she did it, pulled Lalar from its sheath once more. She saw Gandalf walking towards one of the boulders. She blinked, looking at the boulder, suddenly realizing what it was.

"We're surrounded." Fili shouted as he ran closer to the middle of the field. Kili shoot another arrow, which found its mark, making one of the orcs fall from its stead.

"Where's Gandalf?" Dori asked. Arirua turned to see that the wizard had indeed disappeared.

"He's abandoned us." Dwalin said. Arirua thought of calling back that Gandalf would never do such a thing, but another burst of pain came from the back of her head, causing her to fall to her knees, dropping Lalar.

"Arirua!" Kili yelled. He came rushing towards her.

"Hold your ground!" Thorin yelled. The orcs rode in closer, closing the circle they had created around them. Suddenly Gandalf appeared from behind the boulder.

"This way you fools." he said. Thorin turned to look at him.

"Come on, move! Quickly, all of you! Go, go, go!" Thorin was yelling now. Kili came up to Arirua.

"Come on, let's go." he said urgently, shooting another one of his arrows at the orcs. Arirua looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Go." was all she said. Kili looked at her with wide eyes.

"What?"

"Go. Leave me." she told him, standing up slowly."

"I'm not leaving you." he said, cupping her face with one of his hands. She leaned into the touch.

"I will be right behind you. Do not worry." she whispered.

"Kili, Arirua! Run!" she heard Thorin yell.

"Go." she whispered to him.

"Right behind me." Kili reminded her before taking off running. The orcs began running after him when he started. Arirua picked up her blade and sliced, hearing the sound of sword against the creature.

"You shall not touch them." Arirua said to the orc pack. "They are under my protection and you shall not lay a hand upon them!" She attacked again, bringing her sword down.

Then she heard the horns, and she allowed herself to crumble. Elrond had come. She heard the hooves of elvish horses and the twang of elvish bows. The young woman's eyes began to drift shut. The sound of an approaching horse made her reopen her eyes.

"Grandfather!" she heard the elf say as she dismounted. Arirua looked up to see the dark haired elf lady. She was stunning, like most elves were with her dark hair and eyes. She was dressed as a warrior and general of Lord Elrond's army should.

"We must get her to back to Rivendell." she heard someone say. Elrond. Lord Elrond had come to save her again.

"Sythralen." Arirua whispered, grabbing the general's attention. "Did they make it? The Pass, did they make it?" _Did Kili make it? _she thought to herself.

"I saw no dwarves when we arrived nor have we found any dwarven bodies." Sythralen promised her quietly. Arirua allowed a smile to creep across her face.

"Then they made it." she said with a sigh. As she smiled at the thought of the dwarves safety, she allowed the darkness to pull her in. _They made it._ was her last thought before she lost conciseness.

* * *

**A/N: Chapter 8! Lol I'm sorry that it took so long, it's been crazy on my side of the computer. Teachers decide to give eighty tests and mountains of homework. Yah, so it took me a little while to write it. BUT! it's here now. :D**

**Now I know that y'all are thinking "Who the heck is Sythralen?" Wellll, my dear friend Loki's General is writing her own fanfic in the Lord of the Rings section. It's called ****The Great Assassin****. It's a great story about another elf who has to go through a tough situation. And it's a Thranduil story too :D. But we're putting each other's characters into each other's stories :D So Arirua will be in ****The Great Assassin**** and Sythralen will be in ****Starlight & Flames****. :D**

**Now on to the reviews... ****_ZubuzasGirl_**** - Here's your update :D, ****_Kaija212 _****- I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so much :D, ****_Wise Owl Eyes _****- hehehe I love writing little moments between the two of them ;P awww thanks I love the ****Princess Bride**** so it's fun to write :), ****_dragonslayer627_**** - I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much :) lol I love the fact that you write your own fanfic for my fanfic :D and awww thanks :), ****_Dalonega Noquisi _****- I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so much :) thanks for reading, ****_SilverPenguin87_**** - awww Arirua thanks you :) don't worry, more is definitely on the way :), ****_jefferyA _****- I hope you survived your feels attack, thanks for the five stars :D, ****_REDRydingHood & Protagonist of Life _****-I'm so glad that you're both enjoying the chapter so much :D**

**Anyways, chapter 9 will hopefully will be here soon :) Love you all 3**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

It was the sound of yelling and hooves on hard ground that pulled Arirua from the shroud of darkness that she had fallen into. As she opened her eyes, Arirua could see that they were no longer on the plain but in Rivendell.

Upon realizing where they were, Arirua forced herself to sit straighter in the saddle, no matter how much her head and muscles screamed out in pain. She could not let Thorin see her in a weakened state. She did not want the company thinking that she was a weakling.

As the cavalry tightened the two circles around the dwarves, Sythralen halted her horse close to where Kili was standing in the tightly knit group. He immediately pointed his arrow at Sythralen's head. Arirua flinched, knowing that this was not going to go well. Sythralen had never taken threats of any kind lightly.

"Release her!" Kili yelled over the curses and mutterings of the other dwarves. The company became quiet, all turning their gazes upon Arirua. Arirua shifted uncomfortably in the saddle. "She is no enemy of yours! Release her to our company!"

The pale haired woman could hear the general chuckling slightly at Kili's boldness.

_She has made quite the impression on him. _Sythralen thought to herself as she laughed. _Though, I am not surprised. It is difficult to meet a star and not like them._

"Calm yourself, Master Dwarf." the dark haired woman said. "Who better to protect her than the Great Assassin?" Arirua watched as Kili lowered his bow upon hearing the name. The name that was known and feared throughout the land. Many children had grown up on the tales of the Great Assassin and her many victories.

"The Great Assassin rides with you?" Fili asked, stepping forward.

"She stands before you." Sythralen said, dismounting as she did. Arirua gripped the horn of the saddle when Sythralen dismounted, trying to stay as steady as she could. "Do not worry. She is among friends here." She then helped Arirua out of the saddle as gently as she could. The star only cried out once, when Sythralen made the mistake of grabbing her upper arm. As the woman apologized, Arirua looked to see what damage may had been done, she saw that the upper part of her sleeve had been torn, showing off the burns to the outside world. Arirua looked back at the company to see many eyes flick away from her. The star could feel the tears welling up from both the pain and the humiliation.

_They had seen them._

"Here." Sythralen said, seeing that something was wrong. She led Arirua a couple of steps away, into the hands of a few other elves, ones that Arirua knew to be healers. As they began leading her away, she could hear another voice call out.

"Where are they taking her?" Arirua turned to see Bilbo pushing his way to the outside of the circle. He stood in front of Sythralen, looking up at her. Compared to the Great Assassin, Bilbo was very small; he looked like a beetle being compared to eagle.

"A hobbit?" Sythralen asked in shock. The healers tried to herd Arirua away, but she shooed them aside for a moment. She wanted to stay just a few moments longer.

"You know my kind?" the hobbit asked, slightly surprised that he did.

"I know all kinds." she told him. There was truth to this. Arirua knew that Sythralen had traveled more than most did and she had seen more than most. "They are taking her to the infirmary to make sure there are no further injuries."

"I will be fine." Arirua said, grabbing their attention immediately. "This is my home. I will be in good hands, as will you." She smiled softly at Kili, whose worried look seemed to ease away when she told them that she would be okay. Arirua then allowed the healers to begin to lead her to the infirmary. As she passed Lindir, she smiled weakly at him.

"Lady Arirua, it is good to have you home." the tall dark haired elf said.

"It is good to be home Lindir." she told him.

The dwarves, after a discussion between the dark haired she-elf, Thorin, and Elrond, were lead to the banquet hall. Sythralen laughed at the expressions of the dwarves faces when they realized that elves did not eat the flesh of animals but of things that grew from the ground. Many of them dug through the bowls, looking for the meat, and then finally giving up when there was none to be found. She heard one say that he didn't like green food. As she watched them pick through their food like children did, Sythralen began to prepare a plate for Arirua who was confined to her cot in the infirmary.

As she was leaving the banquet hall, she saw one of the dwarves, Kili she believed his name was, got up from the table to meet her.

"Are you going to see Arirua?" he asked her.

"I am bringing this to her yes." Sythralen told him. She tried to made an attempt to reach to door, but Kili stepped in front of her, blocking her.

"Could I join you?" the dark haired prince questioned.

"Forgive me for asking," Sythralen inquired, "but why do you care so much for her well being? It is uncommon for a dwarf to care for those of our kind." Even though Arirua was not an elf, she had lived with them all her life. She had learned their ways and learned their secrets. To Sythralen, Arirua was just as much as an elf as herself and Lord Elrond.

"Not all dwarves are that way. Just as I imagine not all elves are like the ones that turned their backs on our kind. She went out of her way to protect us and be sure that we made it to safety and I was forced to leave her behind. I thought that she might have been…" Kili stopped, not being able to finish the sentence that he had started. Sythralen knew what he had been going to say.

"I am afraid that I cannot let you come with me, Master Dwarf. Arirua needs rest, not distracting company." Sythralen could see heartbreak cross over the young dwarf's face. "But I will tell her of your concern." This seemed to sooth him a little. He thanked her and returned to his seat next to the fair haired dwarf that Sythralen knew was called Fili.

The Great Assassin quickly made her way to the infirmary with Arirua's food. When she arrived Arirua was laying on her side, face pointed away from the door.

"The wound was on her head as we believed," the healer explained, "but she has no concussion. No other injuries have revealed themselves at this point. Now she just needs some rest."

"Thank you." Sythralen said as the healer left. She walked across the room to where Arirua was laying on a cot. The infirmary was fairly large, with a high ceiling and walls that were a great distance apart from each other. Like many other rooms in Rivendell, air was allowed to flow freely through it, giving the room a fresh feeling along with the clean feeling that was already there.

"I brought you some food." Sythralen told Arirua. The star turned over and smiled at the assassin. She had known that Sythralen would not be fooled into thinking that she was asleep. Arirua had told her all about the stars and how they lived, so she knew that stars did not sleep as elves and others did. Arirua sat up and took the plate of food from her hands, beginning to eat almost immediately. It had been so long sense she had had good decant vegetables and not ones that had been sitting in a stew with meat.

"Kili seems to have his heart set on coming to see you." Sythralen told her. "This relationship between you worries me." Arirua stopped eating for a moment, scared of what the other might say. She began eating again, pretending that she had not noticed what her friend had said. "You being with the company worries me."

"There is no need for concern." Arirua said, still munching on a piece of fruit.

"Your head injury begs to differ."

"I knew the risks when I first set out on this journey." There was silence between them for a few moments.

"Did the thought of Lord Elrond's concern ever make you think of not going?" she asked.

Arirua shook her head. "No. Nothing ever stopped me. Not even my pain stopped me." More silence filled the room.

"Do they know?" Sythralen asked cautiously, knowing that her past was a difficult topic for the star, much like her own. Syth watched as Arirua put the plate on the table next to her bed, food still on it. She had lost her appetite.

"I have not yet told them. They… they have seen the marks. They saw them in the courtyard today, but they do not what they are or where they are from."

"I see."

"I do not know how they will react." Arirua told her. She blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears back. It was rare for her to let her walls down but she felt comfortable around Sythralen, who was much like an older sister to her.

"Are you afraid they will treat you differently?" Sythralen asked. Arirua just looked her in the eyes, knowing that she could read her answer there. "I understand that. You must find the right time to tell them, but I do think you should do it soon." Arirua nodded in agreement. The star looked up and smiled at her friend.

She and Sythralen had a great deal in common. Both had been away from home for a great deal of time. Sythralen had been kidnapped as a young child and kept in the darkness of the dark elves. They had feed her lies and drove her deeper into the darkness. Then they used her. Sythralen became their pawn, doing as they told her, killing those they told her to kill. Syth killed many elves in her days of darkness. But then she returned home, under orders to kill. She tried to hide her darkness away, but Lord Elrond saw it. Syth underwent spells and teachings to get rid of it. It took many years and Arirua had been there for a great many of them. She had stayed by the elf's side, helping her in ways that others could not. And she did eventually break free of it, during her time with Galadriel. Sythralen and she had been through fire and back and that was what brought them close together, watching each other's backs.

"I am proud of you, Arirua." Sythralen said, grabbing her attention. "Whatever reason Mithrandir had for asking you on this trip, he was right to do it." Arirua smiled brightly and flung herself at the elf, engulfing her in a hug. Sythralen gladly returned the hug, happy their relationship was just as strong as it had always been, even though she had been gone so often.

"It lifts my heart to hear you say that. The Great Elf Assassin has gifted me with kind words." Arirua said overdramatically, pretending to fall back on her pillow swooning. Sythralen laughed, knowing that she was making a joke of how many elves below the general acted when she was around.

"The Great Elf shall leave you to rest, but you must try and get some real sleep so that Lord Elrond will allow to you to leave Imladris."

"Orders well received." Arirua stated, giving a weak little mock salute. She then laid down, back turned to the door. As Sythralen was about to go out the door, she was stopped by a small voice.

"Sythralen, will you tell Kili to come visit me later? I do miss his company."

"Yes, I shall tell him." Sythralen told her. She was not meet with a thank you but a soft humming. Sythralen instantly as the lullaby Arwen sometimes used to sing to her when she was going through one of her fits.

The lullaby about returning home after a long journey.

"Is she awake?" Arirua heard a regal voice ask. Her eyes cracked open, not sure whether she wanted to be awake to see yet another visitor or pretend to be asleep.

"I am not sure my lord." one of the doctors said, "She was awake earlier. Check if you wish, though I ask that if she is asleep that you allow her to remain as such."

Arirua heard footsteps getting closer and closer until she heard the first voice again.

"I know that you are awake." Lord Elrond said. Arirua rolled back onto her back, then sitting up so she could see Elrond, who was now sitting at the end of the bed.

"I could never fool you, Lord Elrond." Arirua said with a small laugh."

"This is true." he said with a smile. Arirua realized that his smile was forced, like he did not smile as often as he once had. Elrond seemed different to her in a way. He was distant, like something was bothering him and he could not put it to rest in his mind.

"I know you have come to visit me, but there is something else that is bothering you. Please, ask of me anything you wish. I know that you will not be at ease until you ask." Elrond looked at her.

"You always knew us better than we knew ourselves sometimes." he paused, trying to figure out how to ask her. "The dwarves… they are treating you fine are they not?"

"Is that what worries you my lord? They treat me fine. To some I am an equal, to others I am still a stranger and therefore cannot be trusted but I am no longer the dirt beneath their shoes." Arirua explained to him. Elrond nodded, understanding that that was just how dwarves treated the other races of Middle Earth.

"The journey is not to hard?" he asked.

"No. We have fought a few times but we have not had a hard journey." There was silence. Arirua knew that the idea of being a father was sometimes harder for Elrond, especially to a young woman who was not his daughter but yet was treated like she was.

"I missed you." Arirua said quietly. Emotions were not her strong suit, and neither were they his.

"And I you." Elrond whispered softly. "I was not sure that you would stop and say hello. Once you had a chance at freedom, you were gone. Imladris has not been the same sense you left."

"And I am afraid that it must stay that way until I finish this journey. Sythralen and I agree that I was asked to join the company for a reason that has yet to show itself. Fate is working and, though I wish I could stay home, I have learned one thing. Never tempt fate, for fate will always win." Arirua stated simply. "I wish to stay home with you and Arwen though. And I shall leave with a heavy heart."

"I have seen something similar. Arwen and I believe the same thing." Elrond said as he stood up. "You must promise me that you will stay safe. For my sake and for Arwen's. The poor girl was beside herself when she heard that you were in the infirmary."

"I promised you when I left that I would not let anything make me fall. So far, I have broken that promise. But this time, when I leave the halls of Rivendell, I plan to keep that promise." Arirua told him gently. Elrond kissed the top of her head.

"Be safe then little star. I hope we will see each other…" Before Lord Elrond could finish what he was saying, Kili burst through the door of the infirmary like a madman. Elrond found at him, trying to figure out why a dwarf was standing before him.

"Lord Kili, you must have gotten my message from Lady Sythralen." Arirua said, trying to give Kili a pointed look that Elrond could not see. Kili frowned at her. "You are here to dicuss things with me are you not?"

"Ah, yes. Yes of course. Thorin wished me to go over the plans for the departure." Kili said, trying to figure out what Arirua was still hinting at. His eyebrows scrunched closer together. Arirua could see that he was thinking about it.

"Of course." Arirua said, "I am sorry that I must cut our visit short Lord Elrond, but this is very important. I must apologize."

"It is fine, my dear. I must attend to other things as well." Elrond said, walking towards the door as he did, passing Kili who was standing as if he was frozen in place. "Goodbye Arirua."

"Goodbye Lord Elrond." Arirua called after him as he left. Once they were both sure he was down that hallway, the breath that they both had been holding left their lungs.

"It is good…" Arirua started to say, but before she could get a word out, Kili was across the room to her cot and had enveloped her into a hug, pulling her closer.

"Don't ever do anything like that again."Kili whispered into her shoulder. His hug grew tighter, like he was afraid that she would float away or disappear. "I thought that you were… you were… And I just couldn't bear the thought of losing you." He released her from the hug and looked her in the eyes. Arirua could see the dark browns and the light browns mix together in his eyes. "Promise me that you will never do something like that again. I… I just can't bare the thought of… of…"

"I promise." Arirua whispered to him. A sad smile crossed his face and he embraced her again.

This time, Arirua hugged him back, just as hard as he hugged her. She didn't want to lose him either.

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**A/N: It's here... It's finally here lol :D This will be short because I am typing this in a hurry so, here it goes. Thanks for all the lovely comments (I won't be responding to them in this chapter because like I said, I'm kinda in a hurry) but I love all the comments and little points y'all say :D Don't forget to go and read Sythralen's story. It's called The Great Assassin in the Lord of the Rings section. It's by the amazingly talented Loki's General :D Anyways, I'll be working on chapter 10 in my free time and hopefully it will be out soon. Love you all and I can't wait to see what you think of this chapter. :D**

**Oh and I forgot to mention, my friend came up with a ship name for Kili and Arirua... and the name is: Kirua :D What do y'all think? I'd love to hear from you ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

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The two of them stood there for several minutes, just holding each other. Kili was the first to let go, reluctantly dropping his arms and taking a small step back. Arirua smiled a small smile up at him, knowing that her cheeks were lightly dusted pink from the closeness. Arirua sat down on the bed, and turned her head to look out over Rivendell. She sighed, seeing the moon rising and the stars coming out.

"It is very pretty tonight." Arirua said, more to herself than to Kili. The dark haired dwarf heard it, and he smiled.

"Would the lady care to take a walk through the garden in the moonlight?" he asked in his cheeky way. Arirua looked at him.

"But, I was told to stay in the infirmary." Arirua said, trying not to smile, knowing that Kili was not buying it.

"And sense when does the great Lady Arirua follow the rules?" Kili asked her, bending down so that he was eyelevel with the star. Arirua's eyes flicked away from the dark ones looking into hers.

"I do try to follow their wishes. Rules are rules for a reason."

"But rules are made to be broken." Arirua looked back at his eyes and smiled, knowing that he was not going to take no for an answer. Kili put out his hand and Arirua quickly placed her hand in his.

"Shall we then?" she asked him, with a big grin on her face. The star hoped of the bed and took off running, dragging the dark haired archer behind her. Arirua lead Kili down several long hallways and underneath arches before they arrived at their destination.

"This is my favorite place in Rivendell." Arirua said as she stepped out from underneath the archway and into the light of the moon. Arirua smiled as she stepped back under yet another roof, however she could still see flecks of moonlight through the decretive ceiling. The star took the dwarf's hand and lead him to the other side of the small white pavilion which looked over the surrounding land. Arirua placed one of her hands on the posts that kept the white pavilion together. "This was my safe place, when I first came here. Lady Arwen showed it to me and I would come out here when I was homesick or needed to be away from others. I have always liked the view it provided me. I could see Middle Earth and I could see the stars and feel the moonlight." Arirua explained smiling. "If I was not here, I was practicing on the training field but that is farther from the infirmary than this was."

There were several minutes of silence as the star and the dwarf stood together, side by side, looking out over the vast surrounding land. Arirua played with one of the flowers that grew on one of the bushes that lay around the pavilion. Kili glanced over and couldn't help but smile a soft smile at the woman when she wasn't looking. The dark haired dwarf knew beauty, no matter what his brother said, and he knew that it was something that Arirua had. Kili knew that he was falling for the mysterious woman, but he also knew that he couldn't be distracted on this journey. But her pale hair and her laugh were just so distracting.

"Would you tell me another?" Kili asked, breaking the silence. Arirua frowned, leaning against the railing of the pavilion. Her head no longer troubled her, for she healed fast, but she wondered if she was still slightly groggy from the hit. "Stars, I mean." Kili said. "Could you tell me some more about the stars?" Arirua smiled at his request.

"Do the dwarves not have their own tales of the stars?" she questioned, laughing slightly.

"We do." Kili said, with the goofy grin that Arirua had grown to love. "But your stories are far more interesting. It's as if you've actually talked them and you know their personal stories." Arirua smiled, knowing that he really had no idea.

"Well, if you insist. Pick a star, and I shall tell you its tale." Arirua motioned to the stars that could be seen from where they were standing. Kili chuckled and pointed at one of the stars randomly.

"That is Condir, which means valor in elvish." Arirua explained. "Condir was a great warrior, one of the greatest of his people. But every great warrior is destined to fall in battle. I cannot remember the name of the battle that was his last but it was a great battle, far before the time of Erebor. He was challenged by the leader of the enemy, for they had heard the tales of this great warrior. The enemy defeated him, though it was not an easy task. Condir fought with all his might, doing everything to protect his people. Condir and his people won the war, but Condir was not able to celebrate the victory. When he passed over, the stars took pity on him, for they had seen his great deeds and allowed him to become one of their own. Now, it is his job to keep the darkness that wishes to plunge the light of the stars into nothingness away."

"Wow." was all Kili could say.

"Now you must tell me a tale. I have told you four, I believe I am entitled to one of my own. Tell me what the dwarves say about the stars." Kili looked out at the sky, trying to find star that he could remember a story for. His eyes were drawn to a star that sat farther off, away from all the other stars, lower and closer to the ground.

"That," Kili started explaining, leaning over the railing slightly to point out the star that he was talking about, "is Nondraen, one of the great kings of the dwarves. Stories say that he was a great warrior and his reign was prosperous. The legend goes on to say that he was put in the night sky so that he could continue to look over his people at night, when dark things are more likely to attack." Arirua glanced at him, as if trying to get him to continue. "That's it, lass. We don't really have tales for stars; we prefer to stay underground so we don't see them much."

"It is understandable. I have learned that dwarves prefer time underground with stones that shine like stars rather than above ground under the real stars." Arirua paused and pulled her hair back as it began to fall in her face. She looked up and studied the star. "My people have a story for that star as well. Would you care to hear it?" Kili nodded, wishing to prolong his time with Arirua before she would have to return to the infirmary.

"The name of the star is Randir. Randir was once an elf, if memory serves correctly. An elf who fell in love with a human woman. But then, in those times, the love between a mortal and an immortal was forbidden. But Randir could not deny his love for the woman. So, they would meet in secret, as most forbidden lovers do. And as time went on, their love only grew, but their love was still forbidden. The stars, who were then gracious and caring beings, saw the love between the two and the pain that caused them to be apart from each other. The stars offered the two lovers a once in a lifetime chance. They could join the stars and live in the heavens and shine throughout the night like the rest of the stars, but they could never return to Middle Earth, but they would always be together." Arirua paused, looking out at Randir who sat in the sky, blinking at her. She felt a hand rest on hers, and she looked down to see Kili's hand on hers. She smiled, and turned her hand so that she was now holding his hand. "The two lovers accepted the offer. Now they sit in the sky together, watching over those whose love is forbidden." Arirua pointed with her free hand, "Look there, right beneath Randir's star." Kili looked and could see another, smaller and fainter than Randir's. "That is Miswen." Arirua informed him. "She was the human girl that gave up her life to be with the one she loved more than anything."

"It's a very pretty story." Kili said.

"It is a true story." Arirua informed him. She cringed. _He does not know what I am. Why did I say such a thing?_ Kili just shook it off; he knew that there was something strange and mysterious about the girl that joined their quest later but he could tell that she was not yet ready to let the company know her secret just yet. Kili looked at her and smiled. Before he could stop himself, the dark haired prince blurted out:

"You are truly beautiful." He quickly clamped his hand over his mouth, eyes wide in shock that he had actually said it.

Arirua looked at him; she could feel the blush creeping across her cheeks.

"You are to kind." Arirua said, letting go of his hand.

"It's tru…" Kili started. Arirua turned her head in his direction curious what made him stop. Kili motioned for her to stay quiet. Arirua frowned; Rivendell was one of the safest places in Middle Earth. What would startle Kili so?

Suddenly, she saw a figure standing in the entrance to the pavilion. They were wearing armor, which was strange for the elves of Rivendell who only dressed as so when there was war. Arirua made a reach for her sword, but was only met with air. Sythralen had said that they had placed her sword in her old room and she could retrieve it when she left. Arirua cursed under her breath in elvish. She was unarmed, something that did not make her feel comfortable, even in Rivendell. The shadow spoke stepped forward into the light, showing himself to Kili and Arirua. Once he stepped into the light, Arirua let a huge smile cross her face. She quickly ran across the pavilion, throwing her arms around the stranger.

"Haldir!" Arirua cried as she hugged the elf. Kili, who was still standing in place, frowned slightly.

"It is good to see you too, Arirua. It has been far too long." Haldir said as he hugged the star back.

"I have missed you so." she whispered to him. The young woman was doing the best she could not to cry, trying to blink back tears. Haldir had not been to visit Rivendell in such a long time, she had begun to think that her friend had forgotten about her. She stepped back from the hug, smiling.

"What brings you to Rivendell?" she asked him. "It is strange for you to leave Lothlorien without a purpose."

"I am here with Lady Galadriel." Arirua's interest was instantly captured.

"The Lady of Light is here in Rivendell?" she asked. Haldir nodded.

"My lady was called here by Lord Elrond to meet with the other protectors of Middle Earth." Haldir explained. "I was chosen to accompany her. And when I heard that you had returned from your quest, I knew that I must come and see you."

"It is good of you to come and see me, but I am not staying long. I will leave when the dwarves of Erebor leave." Arirua told him. Haldir frowned at her statement.

"Dwarves?"

"Yes, dwarves." Kili's voice said from on the other side of the pavilion, annoyance ringing loud when he spoke. Arirua took a deep breath to steady herself, preparing for the on-coming storm. She knew of the tension between the dwarves and the elves, and she prayed to the stars that Kili and Haldir would be civil.

"Yes. Haldir, this is Kili, nephew of Thorin, second heir to the throne of Erebor. He and his kin have come together to take back the Lonely Mountain from Smaug." The star could see Haldir's eyebrows begin to form a frown as he took all the information that she was telling him in.

"They intend to fight a dragon?!" Haldir questioned, raising his voice slightly. Arirua winced; she had never enjoyed loud noises or voices. They upset her, made her nervous, which often lead to her lashing out.

"If it comes to that, yes!" Kili said, raising his voice too.

"All you dwarves care about is the treas…" Haldir began.

"Enough!" Arirua said, feeling her anger boiling slightly. "Kili, this is Lord Haldir of Lothlorien. He is a skilled warrior and protector. Haldir is one of my closest friends." The two males looked at each other, and all Arirua could do was watch them, unsure what to do. She noticed Kili's hands were clenched tightly and Haldir's hand was resting on his sword. The three stood there in silence. Finally, becoming sick of the silence, Arirua said:

"I believe that I should return to the infirmary. They will be wondering where I have gone." Kili nodded.

"I must return to Lady Galadriel," Haldir said. Seeing Arirua's frown, he continued with a smile, "but I shall visit you in the infirmary once I am able. Then we shall talk at length." Arirua nodded and hugged the blonde elf again.

"I shall see you soon then." Arirua said. "Do not forget."

"I shall not." Haldir said, and then he was gone. Arirua stood and watched him go, sad to see her friend leave but she turned to Kili.

"Shall we?" The dwarf gave a short nod and started walking. Arirua frowned at his answer, but followed him. They walked back through the halls, this time in silence. There was no laughing or silly comments, just silence that reminded Arirua of cloudy nights.

When Arirua and Kili were close to the infirmary, Arirua spoke.

"Kili, what is wrong?"

"Nothing, Arirua. I am fine." Kili said, not looking at her.

"It does not seem like nothing." Arirua stated. "You have hardly said a word sense we have left the pavilion. Please, tell me what is bothering you." Kili looked at her and frowned. Arirua had to hold back a laugh at how handsome he looked when he was frowning. His whole demeanor seemed to change.

"It's just… it's… I mean… why? Why him? Why does he get to..." Kili said, yammering on in incomplete sentences. Arirua frowned, not understanding what the dwarf was getting at. She began tugging at her sleeves, cupping them in her palms like she usually did when she was nervous. She listened to Kili yammer on some more before it came to her. Her eyes grew wide, remember the things that Kili had said to her during their short time together. Arirua had never felt love for another person, but she had seen it before. It was something that made her see the good of Middle Earth.

"Kili," Arirua stammered quietly. The dwarf stopped speaking gibberish and turned to look at the star who had suddenly took an interest in her toes. Feelings had never been an easy thing for the star, "are you jealous of Haldir?"

There was silence in the hallway that they stood in. One could have dropped a pin and it would have been heard.

"Yes. No. I don't know." Kili said suddenly, causing Arirua to jump up slightly. "I've never been good at the whole relationship, love, courting thing. That was always Fili's area of expertise. I just, I just…" Arirua smiled at his nervousness. She took a step forward, so that she was within leaning distance. Using every ounce of courage she had, Arirua leaned forward and kissed the stammering dwarf on the cheek, causing him to stop immediately.

"You shouldn't be jealous of Haldir." she said, before quickly walking down the hall and opening the door to the infirmary. As she started to shut the door, she turned and looked at Kili. She giggled at the smile that was on his face. He quickly turned to look at her upon hearing the laugh, causing her to shut the door quickly so the dwarf could not see her blushing.

As she laid down on the cot that was hers, and all she could think about was Kili and this new strange feeling that was beginning to form for him.

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**A/N: HEYYYY! Guess what... I'm back :D Well, I'm here with a new chapter at least... See the white flag, don't shoot me. I'm so sorry for taking so long... this chapter would not agree with me for some reason. But here it is :D**

**Special Thanks: to FrankieFusciaxx (her name is pronounced Air-e-ura. It's all good I love questions, so thanks for asking :D), jefferyA (y'all this girl made some beautiful fanart for Arirua, so you should check it out ;)), Wise Owl Eyes (so she gave me a shout out so Imma give her one too, Owl here is writing a Hobbit fanfic of her own, it's called Wanderlust and it's amazing :D), REDRydingHood (awwww thanks), 88XeqtionerAngel88 (well it wasn't the brothers, but there was a little bit of jealousy going on ;D), SilverPenguin87 (awwww thanks :D), Dalonega Noquisi (awww thanks :) I'm glad that you enjoyed it ;D), Protagonist Of Life (same here, lol I can't wait to see what I write it :D), and sillystring-roxs-the-earth (awww thanks so much, I'm glad that you're enjoying her story so much :D)**

**Okay there we go :D Don't forget to check out The Great Assassin by Loki'sGeneral and Wanderlust by Wise Owl Eyes Love you all and don't forget to leave comments :D Cookies to all my readers, virtual cookies of course ;)**


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